


Second Times' The Charm

by Nellz



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Human Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Mild Language, Multi, Possible smut, Protective Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama, Protective Uchiha Itachi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:14:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 53,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27037783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nellz/pseuds/Nellz
Summary: Naruto is sent back in time to stop the war, or at the very least, minimize the impact of the war.Along the way, he accidentally sets up the most elaborate prank anyone has ever seen.He and Kurama STILL can't stop laughing.Warning: boyxboy, girlxgirlMature language and themesMain Pairing: Naruto (future) x Kurama (future)Side pairings: Naruto (past) x Sasuke, Kakashi x Itachi, Ino x Sakura, Shikamaru x Neji, and Gaara x Lee
Relationships: Gaara & Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara/Rock Lee, Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino, Hatake Kakashi/ Uchiha Itachi, Hatake Kakashi/ Uchiha Itachi/ Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata/Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Neji/Nara Shikamaru, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama & Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama/Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Itachi/Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 42
Kudos: 241





	1. A/N- Updated 12/01/20

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter explains about the story, please read all of it before commenting anything. I am in the process of rewriting this story for Wattpad and decided to go ahead and start posting it on here as well.
> 
> Please do not say anything about multiple ships (that is explained in the A/N) or leave any hate comments.

Hello! Nellz here! This first page is an information page, so everyone can understand just what is going on. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them and I will either answer in the comments or edit this page, depending on whether or not the question is deemed "important to understand the story" or not.

The first thing is the fact that this is both a Kuunaru and a Sasunaru story. This DOES NOT mean that Kurama and Sasuke are going to fight for Naruto. What happens is this: Naruto is sent back into time, but instead of becoming his younger self, he "adds" another Naruto into the timeline. To limit confusion, future Naruto and future Kurama change their names. Future Naruto enters into a relationship with future Kurama (later in another book). Future Naruto actually idolizes Kakashi and mistakes it for a crush (to be fair, so does Kurama, although Spirit Minato knows what is going on but doesn't say anything). Present Naruto enters a very fluffy relationship with Present Sasuke.

Taking something off of the first fact is that there might be a slight Kakanaru in this story, but if I do add it, it will be brief and will help Future Naruto to understand that he really didn't fall for his former sensei, he just idolized him (more about that in Chapter Five onwards. I might include Kakanaru for a couple of chapters, break it off, bring it back, then break it off for good when Kakashi realizes just how much he actually loves Itachi [it will be around the Chunin Exams when that happens]. Tell me if you guys don't like that idea). There will also be Itanaru, which happens around the same time the Kakanaru happens (it's more like KakaItaNaru) and that also helps solidify Future Naruto's feelings for Future Kurama.

The second thing may or may not be about the prank. Future Naruto himself is not involved in the prank, he is the third wheel who's laughing his head off throughout the whole prank. The two people pulling the prank off are Itachi and Sasuke. Can you guess what it is?

A third thing I want to talk about is the OCs. There are a few, but they are not immediately introduced. (All their ages are going to be when you first meet them, please keep that in mind)

My four OCs are:

1) Aki Acha (female, no clan dojutsu, 19, ANBU Cat Division [stealth and assassination], tiger mask, diplomat, knows of Minachen's real past) -- completed

2)Hanaka Akami (female, Uchiha clan dojutsu [Akami is a side-clan of Uchiha in this story], 20, ANBU Falcon Division [hunt and disposal of enemy Ninja], hawk mask) -- completed

3) Kazuchi Naemi (male, no clan dojutsu, 18, ANBU Frog Division [medical and crisis], toad mask) -- completed

4) Hinoji Hyuuga (male, Hyuuga clan dojutsu, 17, ANBU Owl Division [stealth and information retrival], snowl owl mask, team leader, knows of Minachen's real past) -- completed

Michiaki (Future Naruto for those of you who don't know) is brought back to the past as a 16-years-old and is thus made a Chunin. Michiaki is the right-hand of Hinoji during missions, although Aki, Hanaka, and Kazuchi have been in the right-hand position depending on the type of mission (yes a Chunin was put in an Anbu team).

This is a slow-burn romance story, but when this starts burning, it will get passionate FAST.

This is set in Third-person limited, my favorite POV, so please don't be surprised if you see every one of the main character's thoughts from time to time.

Also, this story may be divided into books (I haven't really decided on that just yet). The reason for this is because it starts when Sasuke and Naruto are around 6 (Itachi is around 11) and ends (relatively speaking) eleven years later when Naruto turns 17. I assume Itachi is 5 years older than Sasuke and Naruto, so please tell me if the ages I put down are correct or not.

Another fact is that I DO NOT know when I divide the books. I just know that they will be divided at least once, at most four times. All books (2 or 5) will be involved and complicated. All chapters are going to be very long and technical (my writing style). There will be very few timeskips and flashbacks are going to be from Michiaki (Future Naruto) ONLY (with small ones from present Naruto that mainly include lessons that he learns that aren't showcased). This is to prevent any complicated issues later on in the book. This story revolves around Michiaki (future Naruto) and Naruto, but I allow others around him to sort-of showcase what others think of him.

There ARE going to be mentions of PTSD and behavioral therapy via Inochi. Both Michiaki (Future Naruto) and Present Naruto have PTSD. Michiaki (Future Naruto) because of past abuse and the war and Present Naruto because of the current abuse. Inochi and Shikaku are the two biggest components in Michiaki's (Future Naruto) mental health, although they are not main characters (the side characters who help him out).

Like I said if you have any questions, feel free the comment them. If the question is related to a certain point I made, please try and highlight the point by clicking on the little comment button next to it (or holding down on the sentence if you are on the mobile app) and then commenting, so I have a better understanding on what you guys have trouble understanding.

I hope you guys have a wonderful day! ^-^


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto travels back into time. This is the starter of everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! Here's the first redone chapter of this story! It has a similar beginning, though I sort-of added bits and pieces of the former Chapter 2 at the end.
> 
> This might be confusing so I hope this clears up some questions:
> 
> 1) Itachi is 11
> 
> 2) Future Naruto is physically 16 and mentally 32
> 
> 3) Past Naruto and Sasuke are 6
> 
> 4) This happens two years before the Uchiha Massacre. Itachi is part of the ANBU (which is probably canon) at his age, though I'm making him Captain at 12 and a half so he has plenty of leadership opportunities.
> 
> 5) Future Naruto refers to past self by 'Naruto' and himself with 'I, me, my' though this is written in 3rd Person POV. His name changes in the second chapter, like before.
> 
> If you guys have any questions, please comment them below.

Naruto was never afraid of the dark since he was used to it growing up. Throughout his life there had been two things that remained constant in his life, or as constant as they could be: Kurama and darkness. So when he woke up to find himself in darkness, he wasn't scared. Besides, Kurama had told him beforehand that the in-between might be dark and lonely as they wouldn't be able to talk to each other during the transition.

What he was scared of was being  _ alone _ . Of not being able to talk to the demon who had always been with him since he was born and even before his birth. Naruto curled up in a ball and waited for the transition to pass so he could talk to Kurama again. So he could talk to his  _ best friend _ again.

Naruto woke up to a bright sun shining on his face. He felt a bit... weird, almost like he had shrunk during the transition, which was highly likely. He sat up and looked down at himself. His clothes are a size too big, which told him that he was 16 or 17 again. It took a few moments for him to notice that he was alone in the Forbidden Forest near Konoha. He immediately went into his subconscious to see what was going on inside his mindscape. What he found there shocked him.

Kurama's cage was all but destroyed, and Kurama was so weak that he almost couldn't see the 'almighty Bijuu.'

"Kurama..." Naruto whispered, pained to see his friend in such a weakened state.

**"Hey, kit, nice to see you moving about,"** Kurama weakly commented. His voice was soft, and his laughter softer.

"What happened?"

**"Time travel is a risky business, you know that. I knew that I could die if I helped out, but I also knew that you would die if I didn't help out. I want you to fulfill your dream of peace, and that wouldn't have happened if you had died on me."**

Naruto quietly laughed at Kuruma's weak attempt at a joke. "Yeah...Hey, Kurama, do you want me to free you?"

Kurama looked at Naruto like he had grown a second head,  **"Kit, that was the number one dumbest stupidest idea you have ever spewed out of that big mouth of yours. And that's saying a lot because you've said and thought of a lot of stupid ideas. We have traveled in time before people viewed you as a hero, gaki. They still view me as the biggest threat to their existence."**

Naruto chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "Sorry, I forgot Kurama."

Kurama weakly laughed,  **"I know, kit. How about you fix the seal? You know how to do it. Also, I could change your appearance a little bit so no one automatically recognizes you. A warning though, once I change your appearance, you won't be able to revert to your original appearance."**

"Ah, thanks for the encouragement Kurama! I'll get to work right away. I'll do the seal before I agree to the appearance-changing, does that sound like a good idea?"

Kurama thought for a second,  **"Yes, as I'll need a bit of time to gather up some chakra and it would probably be easier and safer for me to do it when I'm sealed as I won't die. Are you going to release me then reseal me?"**

"Releasing you and then resealing you would take a while, but it's probably the safest bet. Do you want me to find a cave so if you do escape, it will be hidden?"

**"That's a good idea, do you know of a cave nearby?"**

"No, I wasn't proficient in the Forbidden Forest growing up even though I was consistently in it on my birthday." Naruto heard Kurama growl weakly. "I don't blame the citizens for their fear. You did destroy Konoha while being controlled, yanno."

**"I still hate Madara."**

Naruto laughed, "Yeah, I know, Kurama. I'll walk around a bit."

**"Be wary."**

"Yeah, I know. This Forest is deadly if you're not careful."

It took Naruto two hours to find a suitable cave that looked empty enough to stay in throughout the process without alerting large predators or people. He noted that Kurama was still asleep. He chuckled, who knew that demons gathered chakra through sleeping? It was probably why Kurama had been asleep most of his younger years. In the two hours that Kurama was asleep, he had gotten slightly stronger, but he was still weak enough to worry Naruto.

The bright blonde removed his "sealing bag", as Kurama called it, and sat down on the rock. He pulled out two sheets of paper, one to practice on, and one to work as the actual sealing paper. He progressed slowly, as his memory of the seal was a bit rusty. When he was confident enough, he went back into his subconscious, bringing his tools with him.

"Hey Kurama, I'm about to release you."

Kurama acknowledged Naruto's warning by opening his eyes and swinging his head to look at the young man. Naruto slowly peeled the broken seal off the cage and flinched when the gates suddenly flew open. Naruto immediately began drawing the new seal. In the corner of his eye, he could see his father, Minato, was watching Kurama curiously.

When Naruto was halfway drawn the seal, Minato decided to speak up, " _ You're not going to escape? _ "

Kurama sighed,  **"Just because the damn gate is open, doesn't mean that I'm going to leave this Kit alone. Besides I'm too weak to survive in the real world. I'll escape tomorrow."**

Naruto laughed, "Whatever you say Kuramasan."

Minato flinched, " _ You let him call you that? _ "

**"It's better than Kuraniisan or Kuranii,"** Kurama grumbled, earning a startled laugh and a headshake from Minato.

Naruto continued drawing the seal in relative peace if you called a demon and his dead father bickering at each other "peace." Though the term was  _ very  _ relative. Hell, his concept of peace was much different from Nagato's concept of peace. Nagato had wanted to become a god so that peace could be accomplished! Naruto shook his head to get rid of his thoughts and slowly finished the seal.

"There! Done! Now it's time to reseal you, Kurama."

Minato came over to Naruto to inspect his handiwork, " _ I'm proud of you, son. You got all the kanji correct. _ "

"Hey, I'm not that helpless, dattebayo!"

Minato and Kuruma chuckled at Naruto's outburst.  **"At least you remembered to put your chakra in the seal this time."**

Naruto laughed at the fond memory, "Yeah. Okay, I'm going to put this back on now. Would you close the gates, Kurama?"

Kurama nodded tiredly and closed the gates. As soon as the gates clanged closed, Naruto carefully, but quickly, placed the new seal in the same spot as the other one had been in. The seal and gates briefly glowed blue before fading to their natural black color. Naruto and Minato watched as the broken gate became whole once more.

"There, my part is done! Do you need more time or are you ready to change my appearance?"

" _ Wait, you're changing Naruto's appearance? _ " Minato asked, somewhere in between concerned and curious. Too many things were going on that he didn’t understand and it was making the spirit’s head spin.

**"To answer your question, Minato, yes I am. I'm assuming your son has consented to the procedure from the question that he just asked. To answer your question, Kit, I'm ready if you are."**

"I'm ready! Do you already have an idea of what I'm going to look like?"

**"I'm going to erase your whiskers and change your hair and eye color. I'm planning on shocking a few people, your father included."**

Naruto laughed, "Only you would have fun shocking people. I trust you. Do I need to stay here during the procedure?"

Kurama thought I second, then nodded,  **"It would be easier if you were where I could see you."**

"Ok! I'm gonna close my eyes!"

Kurama laughed at Naruto's antics. He touched the tip of one of his claws to the top of Naruto's head. After ten minutes, Kurama chuckled,  **"You can open your eyes now, kit."**

Naruto opened his eyes and Minato could only stare in shock. Kurama had erased the six whisker marks, which served to make Naruto's face seem smoother and a bit more mature. He had also changed Naruto's hair color to be a copper-red, which suited Naruto's skin tone much more than the blond hair ever did. The last thing Kurama had changed was to deepen Naruto's eye color to a more amethyst color.

Naruto’s hair went just past his shoulder blades and complemented his clothing choice, which happened to be all black Shinobi gear. His skin tone had darkened during his training, almost making him look like he came from Suna.

Minato was instantly reminded of Kushina and he was sure that Kurama had been aiming for that.

"How do I look?" Naruto asked, almost nervous.

Minato smiled softly, " _ Like a male version of your mother. _ "

Naruto laughed, "Ah, I'm probably going to shock Kakashi-san, Mikoto-san, Fugaku-san, and Hokage-sama. I'm going to try and talk to Jiji now. See you later Kuramasan, tousan!"

Naruto quickly left his mindspace, missing the warning glare that his father gave the fox, who just blinked at the man. What had he done to deserve a glare this time?

Kurama shrugged and went back to sleep, deciding that it didn’t matter if Minato or Naruto weren’t talking to him.

Naruto opened his eyes to the loneliness of the Forest, which was as silent as he remembered it from the last time he was in it. He knew that he needed to move before the Forest started viewing him as a threat. He sighed and took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the Forest, letting himself relax for a moment before getting up (making sure to pull his hood up) and making his way quickly yet safely through the branches and past dangerous creatures that were hidden in the dark.

He quickly slipped into Konoha with little difficulty and Naruto raised an eyebrow at the inept security. He had realized it back when he was younger and had capitalized on it, but now it was concerning. If a young boy in bright orange could easily slip through ANBU and paint things in neon paint and a stranger in red hair could slip through the village without anybody saying anything or batting an eye was concerning.

_ Is everybody so conceited to think that nobody would attack us since we used to be the biggest Village? _

Naruto scoffed and easily avoided everyone that would even have a small chance of recognizing him: Iruka, Kakashi, Itachi, Inoichi, and Shikaku being his main concerns, though he knew that Shikaku and Itachi would have to be told eventually.

Naruto sighed as he carefully worked on a “perfect” life.  _ Would say that I am Naruto’s cousin on his mother’s side work? I could’ve stayed with my parents until they died recently and they gave me a letter from Kushina stating that we had family in Konoha. _

Hiruzen, Kakashi, Itachi, Inoichi, and Shikaku would never buy such a lie, but everybody else would and that was all Naruto needed for now until it was time to reveal everything.

_ Naruto’s gonna be pissed that I lied to him when he finds out _ , Naruto mused, amused at the irony of the situation.

Naruto sighed,  _ As long as he doesn’t have to go through what I had to go through at the end, then I’ll be fine with that. I just hope that I didn’t create a time loop by doing this and that Kaguya and Zetsu can be defeated with me, Otousan, Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke-teme, Naruto, Sakura-chan, Neji-san, Panda-chan, and Itachi-san working together. _

_ Hopefully, it will be enough to save the future _ .

Naruto swallowed his thoughts about the future and focused on making it to the Hokage Tower without being spotted, which was depressingly easy.

_ Do these people even take their job seriously? I know Kakashi-Sensei and Itachi-san do, but everyone else is so laid back that it’s making me want to prank everyone until they get that this a serious job! _

Naruto quickly climbed through the Hokage’s window by reflex, dodging the kunai thrown his way, “Oi! I’m here to talk to Ji- I mean Sandaime Hokage.”

Hiruzen blinked at the boy who had climbed through his window and dodged several kunai like it was no problem, “Who are you?”

Naruto hummed, “I’m sorry, but I wish to only let you and maybe Shikaku Nara-san know who I am.”

Hiruzen sighed and pulled out his pipe, puffing out some smoke, “Can I also invite Kakashi Hatake, Itachi Uchiha, and Inoichi Yamanaka to stay? I’m assuming that you also know who they are if you are comfortable with Shikaku Nara.”

Naruto sighed.  _ I might as well as get this over within one meeting so I won’t have to repeat myself.  _ He nodded hesitantly, “If that will make you more comfortable since I  _ am _ a stranger.”

Hiruzen gave a sharp wave of his head and the room cleared except for the four that had been called out. He immediately set up a silencing barrier, “I put up a silencing barrier, so we won’t be interrupted.”

Naruto chuckled nervously, “I hope that I wasn’t interrupting anything important?”

Hiruzen tilted his head, “Nothing that we can’t go back to talking about after you leave.”

Naruto nodded tiredly and let his hood drop, shocking everyone in the room except for Itachi, who never really showed any emotion.

Naruto glanced at everyone, “I’m assuming that you are wondering who I am and how I am here?”

Hiruzen nodded, “You look very similar to my successor’s deceased wife, Kushina Uzumaki. Are you related to her by any chance?”

Naruto closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts. Shikaku and Inoichi recognized the expression and shared a knowing look.

“I-It’s hard to explain, yanno. Well, I guess that I should start with that my name is Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo! I’m from the future.”

Hiruzen stared at Naruto blankly, “You look nothing like Naruto, who’s six years old currently.”

Naruto nodded thoughtfully as he played with the necklace that Tsunade had given him, “Y-yeah. Kyuubi thought that it would be a good idea to change my appearance, though I can’t ever change back to my original appearance. I could show you the Kyuubi Seal?”

Hiruzen nodded and Naruto shuffled a bit before lifting his shirt to reveal the black ink that decorated his stomach in its signature spiral, though it did look slightly different, “I-I had to change the seal when I woke up a few hours ago since Kyuubi was weak and it wasn’t a good idea to fully release him.”

Naruto had forgotten about the bruises that littered his body from the war, Kurama was too weak to heal anything  _ and _ bring them back into time.

“Naruto-kun, why are your back and sides littered with bruises?” Itachi’s calm yet cold voice filled the room.

Naruto turned to the younger pre-teen before glancing down at his body, “A-ah. Kyuubi couldn’t heal me and bring us back into time, it would’ve killed him.”

Hiruzen hummed, “Would you be opposed to letting Inoichi look through your memories to verify what you’ve told us so far?”

Naruto tilted his head, a frown on his face, “Well… would it affect this past’s future?”

Inoichi chuckled at everyone’s confusion, “What he means is that if he shares anything about his timeline, would it affect our timeline?”

Itachi’s lips twitched upwards while Kakashi still looked confused. Everyone turned to Shikaku, who jumped at the attention, “What? I wouldn’t know?”

**_“No, it won’t, kit.”_ **

Naruto frowned, missing the looks shared between everyone,  _ “Are you sure?” _

**_“Yes, now get it over with so I can sleep.”_ **

Naruto smirked, “Kyuubi says that it won’t affect this timeline, or it shouldn’t.”

Inoichi nodded and before Naruto could warn the older man about anything, Naruto found himself forced into his mindscape. Naruto sighed as he glanced at the grumbling Bijuu and disgruntled Spirit. Inoichi was behind him, eyes wide at the state of his mindscape.

Naruto sighed, “I was going to warn you that my mindscape isn’t pretty, it never was. I was sure that the villagers had thrown me into a sewer the first time I entered it. It’s easy to get lost here, so let one of us guide you cause if you stray, you may hurt me.”

Inoichi nodded, still stunned, “Why haven’t you changed the landscape?”

Naruto frowned, “Your mindscape reflects how you view the world around you. You can change it, but it takes concentration and time, time that I didn’t have at the time.”

Inoichi sighed, “That makes sense. Since I can see Kyuubi, then I’m going to say that what you have said is true.”

Naruto blinked in confusion, “You aren’t going to go through my memories?”

Inoichi shook his head and crouched down, “No, since it’s obvious that some terrible things happened to you and Kyuubi if both of you are in your current shapes. I am first and foremost a therapist so I know the dangers of forcing someone to relieve trauma so soon, though I am going to ask you to get an evaluation by me before going back to the Shinobi lifestyle.”

Naruto nodded, stunned, “Yes sir!”

Inoichi smiled before fading from the mindscape, leaving a stunned teen behind, though Naruto shook the shock off fairly quickly and followed the man out of the mindscape.

He found himself being carried by his former Sensei. Naruto blushed in embarrassment for having fallen in the first place.

Inoichi chuckled softly at the blushing teen before continuing his report about what he had seen and the conversation that they had had in the mere seconds that they had been in Naruto’s mind.

“What is your goal?” Hiruzen asked the boy, who was still being carried by the silver-haired ANBU.

Naruto blinked owlishly before giving everyone a bright grin, “My short term goal is to become a medic! I was Hokage for a few short years but I understand that route isn’t for me anymore. Living the dream has killed it for me.”

He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, “I’m sure that younger me will still want to be Hokage. And my long term goal will be to minimize the effects of the wars that I lived through. I know that I can’t stop everything, but I would still like to be able to make it so Konoha, Suna, and the other villages don’t suffer as much, dattebayo!”


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! Neanai here with the redone chapter 2!
> 
> As you can see (if you had the pleasure -or displeasure- of reading the original chapter 2) I'm already making this COMPLETELY different from the original rough draft of the story (technically the second/third rough draft but who's counting?).
> 
> Heres the major differences so far:
> 
> 1) I got rid of a few paragraphs at the beginning of Chapter 2 since it was basically a repeat of the end of the new Chapter 1. 
> 
> 2) I got rid of a lot of useless information that would actually lead to more trouble than good in the long run. 
> 
> 3) I added Inoichi's and Shikaku's input since, well they're still there. 
> 
> 4) I added various small details to make the chapter flow easier.
> 
> A note for the next chapter:
> 
> The next chapter is really going to start setting the whole story apart from the original. It's going to have a few things:
> 
> *Inoichi and Michiaki talking*Inoichi and Kakashi talking*Inoichi giving an evaluation on both Michiaki and Kakashi to Hiruzen and Shikaku*Inochi, Hiruzen, and Shikaku talking about the Coup D'etat and how to avoid it (or at least try and nip it in the bud)
> 
> The next chapter is probably going to be long, boring, and technical, but it's also going to be essential to the story. I'm going to try and make it as realistic as possible (though I am in no way shape or form a professional). I'll add a note at the beginning of the next chapter to explain more about this.
> 
> I'm still trying to decide if I should have the massacre happen or not. Feel free to vote if it should happen or not!
> 
> EDIT (12/01/20): 
> 
> >This is the guide to Naruto/Michiaki speech:
> 
> Cha is 'you' in Naruto speech. Naruto always says it and Michiaki will only say it if he's emotional (mostly angry though).
> 
> Dattebayo is 'believe it/you know' in Naruto speech. Naruto mainly uses it to mean 'believe it' and says the whole word. Michiaki mainly uses it to mean 'you know/yanno' and says "'ttebayo" instead of the whole word. He may also forgo 'ttebayo and just say yanno.
> 
> Nicknames like 'flower guy and tear duct' is to help categorize people and help Naruto and Michiaki to remember people. Naruto is the only one to use nicknames now, though Michiaki may shorten names and may OCCASIONALLY employ nicknames.
> 
> Ano means 'that' in Japanese, but both Naruto and Michiaki use it to mean 'um' or 'but.' 'Um' is the most common use for it with the rare 'but' use.
> 
> Also, both Naruto and Michiaki tend to jump from topic to topic quickly, making it difficult to keep track of their conversation. Hiruzen, Teuichi, Kiyoshi (you'll meet him in chapter 6), and Kurama are the only ones currently able to keep track of their conversations (though Kurama won't admit to it right now). More people being able to keep track of their conversation will be added later on, but for now, only four people are on the list.
> 
> If you like this chapter, please leave a vote and comment!

Naruto smiled at the stunned men (and teen) in front of him before climbing out of Kakashi's arms, giving the older man a sheepish grin.

Naruto turned his attention to Hiruzen once more, his face serious, "If you haven't already guessed it, my world has been all but destroyed. I tried to keep Konoha out of the Fifth Shinobi World War, but apparently, people have different values than me and attacked Konoha while we were still in the rebuilding process. We lost nearly everyone and the people who were alive used up the last of their chakra reserves to send the Kyuubi and me back into time, so I am guessing they are all dead now too."

Hiruzen hated being right in these types of situations. He had figured as much, why else would the boy travel to the past? He closed his eyes briefly and watched as the older Naruto's face became more and more serious.

"I've come back into time to try to fix some major issues to minimize the damage done to Konoha in the future. To do this, I need a few things to change. One of those things is the Uchiha Massacre, as we called it in the future. I'm assuming that hasn't transpired yet. Am I correct?"

Everyone paled, "U-Uchiha Massacre?" Itachi stuttered out.

Naruto frowned at the eleven-year-old, _"Kuraniisan, how can I tell them about this without making it worse?"_

Kurama was silent for a while, **_"Tell them the basics, that the Uchiha Clan was planning a coup d'etat and that an Uchiha was ordered to kill all of them. Also, talk about how that affected Sasuke."_**

Naruto slowly spoke up, "The Uchiha Clan is planning a coup d'etat. It escalated to the point where one of the Uchiha Clan members was ordered to wipe out the whole clan. Sasuke Uchiha was one of the only survivors, the murderer, and one other Uchiha also having survived. Sasuke grew to be a hateful and revengeful person, bent on bringing justice upon the murderer since he was never told the truth."

Naruto paused, "I... I'm having trouble deciding if I should tell you guys who murdered the clan."

Shikaku Nara was the first one to shake off the shock. He hummed thoughtfully, "How would it change the future?"

Naruto sighed, "He might not agree to do it if he already knows about it."

Itachi watched Naruto thoughtfully, "It was me wasn't it?" he asked softly.

Naruto sighed and nodded, a pained expression on his face, "Yes."

Kakashi had steadily paled throughout the explanation and looked over to Hiruzen, who was solemn.

"Oh," the copycat ninja weakly said.

Inoichi and Shikaku watched with sadness as they saw both Itachi and Kakashi struggle to accept that future.

Naruto sighed, "I want to try and avoid the massacre if it can be helped. If I can't, I want Sasuke to go to therapy, even if I have to drag him in kicking and screaming. He goes through abandonment and trust issues that eat him alive and nearly cause the destruction of Konoha."

Naruto paused when he noticed Itachi's guilty expression and frowned deeply. He quickly made his way to Itachi and gently grabbed the boy's shoulders, "Hey, look at me."

Itachi followed Naruto's instructions, both of them missing the other's shocked expressions at the way Naruto took charge of the situation.

Naruto grinned at Itachi, "Hey, it wasn't your fault, 'ttebayo! You were only doing what was asked of cha."

Itachi's eyes widened and Naruto's grin turned slightly bitter, "Sasuke had the choice to leave and hurt everyone and he did that all on his own. All cha can do _now_ is to alleviate Sasuke's suffering from the sidelines as much as cha can. I'll try and help alleviate his suffering myself and I'll do everything in my power to make sure that he doesn't have to suffer through that once again."

Naruto paused and turned his attention to Kakashi, releasing Itachi's shoulders in the process, causing the smaller pre-teen to stumble slightly.

"You," Naruto growled out, pointing a finger at the taller silver-haired man.

Kakashi jerked his head back to Naruto and gulped at the annoyed tone and face of the young teen while Itachi looked surprised that he had moved on so quickly. Inoichi, Shikaku, and Hiruzen all chuckled at how quickly Naruto had reversed track, which was so similar to the current blonde five-year-old Uzumaki.

"Me," Kakashi reluctantly acquiesced.

"I know that cha feel guilty over the deaths of your teammates and sensei, but that same guilt has led cha to neglect your students which nearly led to their deaths on multiple occasions in the future," Naruto gritted out, doing his best not to let his chakra flair in irritation. He wanted to _avoid_ his past self and Iruka for as long as possible, thank you very much.

Kakashi was shocked, "I teach genins?"

Naruto continued like he hadn't heard Kakashi's outburst, "Hiruzen I want you to kick Kakashi out of the Anbu because of his kind heart and place him in the standard forces, Jonin level, after Itachi goes through with the Massacre in about two years if my calculations are correct. If the Massacre doesn't happen, then I still want you to do it."

Hiruzen nodded at the order and made a mental note to do as he was asked. Naruto nodded in content and turned his attention back to the stunned Anbu Captain, "Kakashi, follow your values and don't let anyone tell cha that the way that cha teach is too harsh, because it is because of that harshness that cha gain three of the strongest shinobi to grace this world. I won't tell cha who they are because cha will know later on." Naruto paused and decided to release a tiny portion of his killing intent to show he meant what he said, "Also, don't show favoritism to any of your students or you'll have me to answer to."

Kakashi looked mortified but he still managed to give the Uzumaki a tense nod.

Naruto paused a moment before turning to Inoichi, "Would it be too much to get someone to give Kakashi an evaluation? That could go towards Jiji's order."

Inoichi nodded, still amused at the red-haired Uzumaki who was so much like his mother. Kakashi looked even more mortified.

_"_ ** _I think you've overdone it on the information part,"_** Kurama mused, chuckling softly.

"Sorry, that's a lot to process in a short amount of time, huh?" Naruto chuckled, embarrassed by his straightforwardness.

Hiruzen, Itachi, and Inoichi looked at Naruto musingly.

Itachi was the first to speak their thoughts, "You were Hokage, weren't you? You mentioned earlier that _you_ tried to keep Konoha away from another Shinobi World War and you speak with authority like you're used to giving orders to people."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly and stared at the Uchiha for a few moments in surprise, _"Could he deduct that much in such a short conversation? That's so cool!"_

He relaxed in defeat and Inochi and Shikaku shared a look of concern for the mentally exhausted red-haired Time Traveler, "You've always been perceptive, huh? Yeah, I was the Nanadaime Hokage for a few years. I'm not going to pursue that road anymore, even though I was almost capable of being Hokage at 16."

Naruto hummed, missing everyone's disbelieving looks, "I guess I want to experience the regular promotion experience, if possible. It was weird jumping from genin to jounin after the war. It was embarrassing to know that I was the only genin actively taking part in the war." Naruto looked sheepish at his admission.

All five men looked mortified that a genin had been active in a war.

"Didn't anyone teach you while you were in the Academy?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto shook his head, "Due to having the Kyuubi, I was treated as being the Kyuubi himself and was labeled a lost cause because I couldn't understand a lot of the basic principles and I had poor chakra control on top of all that. I also can't make regular illusionary clones, so I kept failing the genin exams. I finally passed during my third try. I want to help prevent that for Naruto."

Naruto paused and turned to Hiruzen. "I'll explain something that happens when the younger me fails the third time, so you'll be prepared when it happens, Hokage-sama," he said, almost as if it was a side note.

Hiruzen nodded after his shock and disgust at how the civilians had treated Naruto had faded, "I understand. Is there anything else that you want to explain?"

"I want to act as a long-lost cousin of Naruto's. It's going to be difficult because we have the same birthday, but we could forge papers that state that I was born on November 10th, as to make it more believable, although he would connect with me more if we did have the same birthday. Anyways, he's going to need more people in his life who accept him and love him. Has he started pranking people yet?"

Hiruzen nodded, "His most recent one was him getting into the Hyuuga compound and painting everything pink and then exiting before anyone saw him."

Naruto laughed, "That was a good one!"

Itachi sweatdropped while everyone else chuckled at his amusement, "You could have easily killed everyone in that compound, you know that right?"

Naruto nodded sheepishly, "Yeah I know, but when I did it I was just making a point not to mess with me. I admit that I was a bit...scared to realize that even though there were multiple guards no one saw anyone go in or out even with my orange jumpsuit. In my timeline, the Godaime Hokage offered me an Anbu position because of that particular prank, but I refused as I don't care for that type of work and lost my opportunity to become a chunin during their time as Hokage."

Naruto paused, thinking about the future and his goals. He turned to Hiruzen, "I want blondie to get even better at stealth if that's even possible, as it could save his life down the road."

Hiruzen nodded, smiling when he realized that the future Naruto had a similar speech pattern as their Naruto.

"You mentioned that you wanted to pose as Naruto's long-lost cousin?" HIruzen prodded to get the future Naruto back on track.

Naruto nodded, "I'm hopeful that I can help Naruto. I know that eventually, I'll need to reveal my true identity in the future, but for now, I want to lay low so the Akatsuki don't target _me_ as well."

Inoichi nodded, "That sounds like a good plan. Do you have a name already planned out?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, I came here before I could cook up both a good backstory and name. I could ask Kyuubi if he's thought of one yet, but he's most likely still recovering from the time jump and changing my appearance."

The five men looked shocked at that information. Naruto chuckled as the realization that he had mentioned that earlier slowly dawned on them.

"You speak to Kyuubi regularly?" Hiruzen asked.

"Not at first," Naruto admitted. "It wasn't until I joined the fourth Shinobi war that I connected with him and learned his name. We became partners first, and then friends. Now it's normal for me to have conversations with him."

**_"Would you quit_** ** _calling me "the Kyuubi" and just say my name already?"_** Kurama grumbled.

Naruto grinned, "He's annoyed that I haven't said his name yet. It's Kurama. All Bijuus have separate names that they prefer to be called by."

**_"And to answer your question, what about Michiaki with the kanji 'Michi' meaning 'path' and the kanji 'aki' meaning 'clear'. That name is common and would probably be overlooked."_ **

Naruto cocked his head thoughtfully, "Kurama just asked if Michiaki would be a good name. It would use the kanji 'Michi' that means 'path' and the kanji 'aki' that means 'clear'. He also says that it's pretty common and would most likely be overlooked."

Itachi looked thoughtful, "That sounds like a good name. It also has a hidden message that makes sense to you and Kurama but that others would overlook without knowing your mission here. A clear path could mean that you know exactly what you want to do."

Naruto grinned, "Exactly! What are your thoughts, Silver hound?"

Kakashi thought for a second before he spoke, a bit miffed at the informal nickname, "What you and Itachi are saying makes sense. Also, it can pay homage to your father's name without actually being his name. If I remember right, Minato-sensei's name meant 'harbor'. A clear path and harbors both bring a sense of security and safety."

Naruto smiled, "I didn't think of that, but yeah that's probably something Kurama considered as well. Does anyone else have anything to add?"

Inoichi and Shikaku shook their heads and Hiruzen spoke up, "I have nothing to add other than are you going to be an Uzumaki cousin or a Namikaze cousin?"

"Uzumaki because of my hair. I want Kushina to be my obasan if possible."

"Alright and your backstory?"

"I've been isolated from Konoha all my life. I lived with my parents all my life but they died recently. They left me a letter from my Obasan, Kushina, which stated that I would be welcomed here in Konoha if anything happened to my parents. I came here to see if I could become a Konoha nin and if I had any next of kin that I could live with. That's how I learned about Naruto's existence. I got rid of the letter as soon as I read it, unfortunately."

All five men blinked, "That doesn't sound too bad. Where have you lived all your life?" Inoichi conceded.

"I've lived in the Land of Whirlpools and have studied under my parents and different traveling mercenaries all my life. The mercenaries never told me their names and covered any distinguishing features so I can't describe them."

All three men were again shocked at Naruto's quick thinking. "What skills do you possess?" Hiruzen asked.

"Hm, I don't know if my abilities have been downgraded to the level I was at when I was 16 in my timeline. I also don't know if Kurama's weakness has changed my abilities that I can showcase through him but last I checked, I'm proficient in ninjutsu, kenjutsu, collaboration Jutsu, and taijutsu but very weak in genjutsu, fuinjutsu, and hand seals. I've just about perfected senjutsu, bunshinjustu, and the tailed beast skills. I have moderate strength and speed but high stamina, which balances out most of my weaknesses. When I use Kurama's chakra, my strength and speed are greatly increased. My affinity is the wind release, but I was able to use all five affinities plus yin and yang release by the end of the war. I also have a toad summoning contract, but I am thinking of changing it to the fox summons."

Naruto paused and chuckled, "You can breathe now, that's it. Although, I do want to dabble in the medical ninjutsu and strengthen my weaker points."

Hiruzen and Kakashi collectively sighed while Itachi, Inoichi, and Shikaku looked thoughtful.

"If you retain your Sage Mode, I'll make you a Jonin. If you retain your high sensory, then I'll think about putting you in the Sealth Anbu division." Hiruzen conceded. "We'll put your skills to the test in a couple of days and after the test, you can find a suitable place to live. From now on, you'll be known as Michiaki Uzumaki."

"I have a problem with that," Naruto interjected. "Due to my story, I never ran into Jiryaria-sannin or his toads, so he wouldn't have been able to teach me the Sage Mode or the toad summons. I feel like I should keep my senjutsu and tailed beast skills a secret until I'm forced to show it. This means that I have to use my chakra and techniques, which probably will help to strengthen my weaker points. That will probably put me around Chunin or Jonin level at first, which makes sense for my age."

Hiruzen nodded, "That makes sense. You are dismissed." As soon as he said dismissed, the silence barrier came down.

Michiaki rubbed the back of his neck, "Ano, where will I be staying until the test, 'ttebayo?"

Hiruzen chuckled, "With me, since you are a visiting ninja-in-training from another country."

Michiaki grinned, "Thanks, Jiji!" Michiaki paused, "Ano, I should probably be more formal with you from now on, shouldn't I?"

Hiruzen chuckled at Michiaki's embarrassment.

Inoichi cleared his throat, "Michiaki, Kakashi, I would like it if both of you came with me to get your evaluations done. I know Michiaki is a visiting ninja-in-training, so I want to make sure that he's equipped to become a Ninja."

Michiaki bowed to the blonde man, "Thank you, Yamankasan. I greatly appreciate that."

Kakashi's visible eye twitched slightly before he sighed in defeat, "You aren't going to let this go until I go, aren't you?"

Inoichi chuckled softly, "No. Now, come."

Michiaki grinned, "Come on, Hatakesan! It shouldn't be too bad, just be honest, don't avoid the topic, and actually let him help you and you'll be out in no time!"

Inoichi and Kakashi stared at the red-haired teen in front of them in surprise before glancing at each other.

"Michiaki-kun is right, Kakashi," Inoichi admitted.

Kakashi sighed, "Let's get this over with then."


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiaki and Kakashi take their mental health evaluations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! I am so so so SO sorry that it has taken me so long to get this chapter out.
> 
> So for those of you who are new to this story, I had originally planned to make a chapter dedicated to Michiaki and Kakashi doing a mental health evaluation.
> 
> This and the next chapter might be a bit slow going, by the way. It's because there's not going to be active right away, I wanted to use the first five chapters as set up chapters.
> 
> The next chapter is going to be as slow as this one and possibly longer as it's going to be Inoichi playing the recordings of both Michiaki's and Kakashi's mental evaluation as well giving Hiruzen, Shikaku, and Itachi his notes and therapy plans for the two.
> 
> The chapter after that is going to be about the Coup D'etat and their plans for it. I'm probably going to have the massacre take place as usual as I did in the second draft of this story (the one that I published).
> 
> After the Coup D'etat talk, Michiaki is going to (FINALLY) be taking the "placement test" that I had mentioned in Chapter Two.

Michiaki sighed as he waited to be called by Inoichi.

He was surprised when only two minutes later, his name was being called (just his first name as they didn’t want anybody knowing a new Uzumaki was in the village just yet).

Michiaki followed the older blonde to an interrogation room that had a table and a hand-held mirror on top of the table. Inoichi waved for him to sit and they sat down.

Michiaki waited patiently as the older man wrote some information in a packet that he brought with him and turned on a recording device. The older man sighed before he looked up at Michiaki.

“Alright then, we’ll get started. Please answer all the questions honestly. If we find out that you lied to us, then you can be suspended or even arrested depending on the severity of the situation. Start with your name and birthday please.”

Michiaki smiled, “My name is Michiaki Uzumaki and my birthday is November 10th. I’m sixteen years old.”

Inochi nodded as he wrote down the information before placing his chin in his hand, “How was your relationship with your family, Michiaki? Was it a two-parent household, were they shinobi…?”

Michiaki frowned as he glanced around the room. 

Inoichi smiled sadly, "Don't worry, Michiaki, only Hiruzen, Shikaku, Itachi, Kakashi and I will know what you say here unless it concerns your future teammates, then they may know as well."

Michiaki nodded, “Thank you, Yamanaka-san. My parents were shinobi and it was a two-parent household. I… wasn’t that close to them.”

Inoichi nodded, jotting that down, “Who do you normally hang out with?”

Michiaki frowned, “I don’t have any friends.”

Inochi frowned, “How would you describe yourself?”

Michiaki exhaled, “Um, I don’t know? Stressed?”

Inoichi’s frown stayed as he flipped a page, “On a scale of one to ten, how much do you trust others?”

Michiaki tilted his head, “Five? Four?”

Inoichi hummed as he noted it down, “Can you tell me why a sixteen-year-old such as yourself is so untrustworthy?”

Michiaki sighed, “I… was abused as a child by my parents. I grew to be wary of other people but I put up a careless mask to cover up my wariness and make me go unnoticed by others around me.”

Inoichi sighed, “Do you think you’re sensitive to what others think?”

“Yes, very.”

“What about worrying?” Inoichi questioned. “Do you find that you do that a lot?”

Michiaki tilted his head, “I… don’t think so? I might.”

“What about indecisiveness? Do you have a hard time making decisions?”

Michiaki tapped the table as he thought about the question. Inoichi let him take his time.

“I double guess myself on everything I decide, if that’s what you mean. It’s how I make such good plans.”

Inoichi nodded, “It is. How often do you cry, Michiaki?”

Michiaki frowned and shuffled in his seat as he tried to remember, “I used to, a lot. But recently, I can’t remember the last time that happened.”

Inoichi nodded as he turned the page, “How would you rate your temper on a scale from one to ten?”

“Ten. I can’t stand idiots or bullies and I’m not afraid to show it.”

Inoichi nodded and wrote something about getting anger management before asking his next question, “Is your guard ever lowered? I can see that it isn’t right now, but do you ever relax?”

Michiaki sighed, “No. I don’t like to give someone a chance to hurt me.”

Inoichi nodded as he noted that down. He sighed as he started to get an idea of Michiaki’s mental state.

“I’ve noticed that you’re distant, more so than most kids your age. Is there a reason for that?”

Michiaki tilted his head, reminding Inoichi of a small fox, “I thought that all kids my age were distant?”

Inoichi blinked and set his pen down in confusion, “No, they normally aren’t. Kids your age are usually sociable.”

Michiaki blinked, “Nobody has ever  _ wanted _ to talk to me and if they did, they only did so to get close enough to me so they can hurt me.”

Inoichi frowned deeply and made note of it, “Didn’t you ever report it?”

Michiaki scoffed, “Who would believe a kid?”

Inoichi nodded slowly. He was slowly starting to see the teen’s childhood and it was starting to worry him, “Moving on, how’s your sleep schedule? How often do you have nightmares if you have any?”

Michiaki grunted, “I have frequent nightmares, possibly five a week? As for sleeping, I get around five to six hours every other day, if I’m lucky.”

Inoichi frowned and he flipped a page, “Have you ever witnessed a traumatic experience?”

Michiaki was silent for a long time, “Yes.”

“Do you ever re-experience it?”

Michiaki looked away from Inoichi and the blonde interrogator sighed. He knew what it meant and he hated it.

“A-ano, what does that mean?”

Inoichi sighed, “It’s in the name, it’s where a victim experiences the trauma like it was happening at that moment. It’s a bit different from a flashback since it usually includes physical symptoms. For example, a war veteran with scars may re-experience the feeling of the fight that caused the scars. They may even feel like their scars are opened.”

Michiaki nodded slowly, deep in thought. Inoichi knew that the red-haired teen was talking to Kurama to see if the fox knew if he had ever experienced that. The older man waited patiently as the teen’s eyes glazed over.

The feeling of Obito as the Ten-tailed Jinchuuriki trying to extract Kurama came to mind as well as several sharp pains in each of his bruises.

“Y-yes,” Michiaki's timid voice broke the tense atmosphere. “W-well, I think so, that is.”

Inoichi nodded, writing down his response before going to the next question, “Do you ever have flashbacks of that event?”

“A-are flashbacks like waking nightmares?”

Inoichi nodded, “Yes. They usually don’t have any of the physical symptoms, though some people may re-experience the event during a flashback. For example, that same war veteran may remember the fight where he got those scars without necessarily feeling the pain that came with it.”

Michiaki nodded and shifted in his seat to try and get more comfortable as scenes of his friends dying flew through his mind, “T-then yes.”

“When reminded of it, do you avoid thoughts of it?”

Michiaki nodded, not trusting his voice.

Inoichi sighed before looking at Michiaki in the eyes, “Do you have any thoughts of self-harm or suicide?”

Michiaki frowned, “I-I’ve never thought of self-harm when I was younger, though I did excessively train to get stronger. As for suicide, I don’t think so.”

Inoichi sighed, “Have you ever attempted self-harm or suicide?”

“I-I don’t know.”

Inoichi nodded, some people didn’t know if they were hurting themselves or not. Inoichi decided to put Michiaki on the suicide watch list just in case.

“What about substance abuse? Do you take more medicine than you should, drink alcohol more than you should, or use any drugs that you shouldn’t?”

Michiaki hummed, “I drink alcohol pretty often, though I never really get drunk because of it.”

Inoichi nodded, “Are you afraid of anything?”

Michiaki closed his eyes and Inoichi felt he was looking at a man much older than the teen in front of him. He knew that he  _ was _ older and Inoichi sighed soundlessly.

“U-um, yes?”

Inoichi nodded, “Can you tell me what about?”

Michiaki shuffled, “W-well I’m scared of losing my loved ones and of experiencing a war.”

An unspoken  _ again _ rang throughout the room and Inoichi nodded, “Those are common fears. Are you afraid of hurting or killing people?”

Michiaki’s eyes shot open, “No. W-well, only my loved ones, but if I have to hurt or kill someone to protect my loved ones, then I’d do it without guilt.” 

Inoichi nodded, writing his response down, “You mentioned guilt just now? Do you feel it often?”

Michiaki nodded.

Inoichi sighed, “Do you hate yourself, then?”

Michiaki tilted his head and looked to the side of the room, searching for an answer deep within himself.

“I… used to. I’m not sure anymore.”

Inoichi motioned to the mirror in the middle of the table, “When you look in a mirror, who do you see?”

Without hesitation, Michiaki replied, “A boy who just yearns for acceptance and acknowledgment.”

Inoichi wrote his last response down, “This concludes the examination, Michiaki. Thank you for your time. I trust that you know your way to the Tower?”

Michiaki nodded.

“Good. I will talk to Hiruzen-sama about our meeting and he’ll get back to you on our decision.”

\----

Kakashi sighed as he waited for Inoichi to get done with Michiaki so he could get in and out. He was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t even last a half-hour. He watched as Michiaki left the building, a taunt look on his face.

A few minutes later, Inoichi was calling his name, which all the Jounins and a couple of Anbu jerked at. Kakashi sighed as he knew that rumors of him getting therapy would be circling the ranks by tomorrow.

They wouldn’t be  _ wrong _ but the whole Shinobi system was more like gossip girls than special people who helped people with impossible tasks.

Kakashi followed the older blonde to an interrogation room that had a table and a hand-held mirror on top of the table. Inoichi waved for him to sit and they sat down.

Kakashi waited patiently as the older man wrote some information in a packet that he brought with him and turned on a recording device. The older man sighed before he looked up at Kakashi.

“Alright then, Kakashi. We’ll get started. Please answer all the questions honestly. If we find out that you lied to us, then you can be suspended or even arrested depending on the severity of the situation. I already know a bit about you so we can skip the introductory questions. How was your relationship with your family? Was it a two-parent household, were they shinobi…?”

Kakashi froze at the mention of his family, something that didn’t go past Inoichi.

“I never knew my mom,” Kakashi admitted softly and suddenly, almost startling Inoichi by the suddenness. “She died when I was very young so I don’t know much about her. As for my dad, he raised me until I was around nine years old. He… killed himself one night. I was the one to find him.”

Inoichi nodded slowly, “I’m sorry to hear that, Kakashi. Who do you normally hang out with?”

Kakashi sighed, “I usually try to avoid everyone, but Gai Might can sometimes rope me into a rivalry.”

Inochi chuckled as he wrote his response down, “How would you describe yourself?”

Kakashi hummed as he thought about the question, “Distant. Asshole. Friend killer.”

Inoichi frowned deeply at the last description and noted down that it was possible that Kakashi was being victimized for what happened to his former teammates.

He flipped a page, “On a scale of one to ten, how much do you trust others?”

“A one. Trusting other people just gets you killed in the end.”

Inoichi frowned, “Do you think you’re sensitive to what others think?”

“No, I could care less what people think about me.”

Inoichi nodded, “What about worrying? Do you find that you do that a lot?”

Kakashi shook his head, “Not that I know that I know of.”

Inoichi tilted his head, this wasn’t going the way that he thought it would, “What about indecisiveness? Do you have a hard time making decisions?”

“No, I tend to be very decisive in my decisions, it’s what makes me a good Anbu.”

Inoichi nodded, “How often do you cry, Kakashi?”

Kakashi frowned, “It’s been a very long time since I cried, possibly after Minato-sensei’s death? Or was it after Rin’s death?”

Inoichi nodded and noted that down, “Were you close to your father before he died?”

Kakashi shook his head slowly, “Not really. We had our moments, but I reminded my father of my mother so he avoided me often.”

Inoichi nodded as he flipped a page, “How would you rate your temper on a scale from one to ten?”

Kakashi frowned, “I don’t know? Possibly one unless someone threatens my team, though I haven’t had a team in a while.”

“Is your guard ever lowered?” Inoichi asked, his chin in his hand, “I can see that it isn’t right now, but do you ever relax? How about taking down that mask?”

Kakashi stiffened at the mention of his mask, “No, I’m never relaxed. You never know when someone might try and attack you.”

Inoichi nodded, “That’s understandable.” He noted how he avoided talking about his mask, “I apologize if this is overstepping any boundaries, but could you tell me about the mask?”

Kakashi nodded slowly, clearly uncomfortable with the subject, “I… I look like my mother, according to my father. He… couldn’t stand to see me and so he had me always wear a mask so he wouldn’t be reminded of his late wife. I just kept wearing it after his death.”

Inoichi nodded as he wrote down Kakashi’s answer, which had surprised him. He hadn’t thought that Sakumo would be so petty as to force his son to wear a mask so he wouldn’t have to remember his dead wife.

“I’ve noticed that you’re distant, more so than most adults your age,” Inoichi commented. He winced as he asked his next question, “Is there a reason for that?”

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, “Connections only serve to hurt you and the ones you love. If you don’t have connections, you won’t end up getting hurt.”

Inoichi sighed, already having an idea what Kakashi’s answer would be for his next question, “How’s your sleep schedule? How often do you have nightmares if you have any?”

Kakashi frowned, “I don’t sleep very often due to very frequent nightmares.”

Inoichi nodded, “Is that why you are late to everything?”

Kakashi shuffled in his seat. He had wanted to avoid this question if possible, but Michiaki’s warning, to be honest, rang through his mind, “N-no. I’m late for everything because I like to visit the memorial stone and talk to my former team. I… spend a long time there only because I don’t keep track of time.”

Inoichi nodded as he jotted the answer down. He flipped to the next page, “I already know the answer to this, but for formality's sake, have you ever witnessed a traumatic experience?”

Kakashi nodded, “Yes, at least three.”

Inoichi nodded, “Do you ever re-experience any of them?”

Kakashi thought back to right after Rin died and all he could see was her blood on his hands and her face throughout the village.

Kakashi tilted his head, “At first, yes, but it’s gotten better. I only occasionally see her blood on my hands.”

Inoichi nodded, he didn’t need to know who this ‘ _ her’ _ was since he already knew of the former Team 7’s mission that ended so horribly, “Do you ever have flashbacks of that event?”

Kakashi looked to the side and closed his eyes, “Yes, just about every day.”

Inoichi nodded, “When reminded of it, do you avoid thoughts of it?”

Kakashi nodded, “Yes.”

Inoichi hummed, “Do you have any thoughts of self-harm or suicide?” Kakashi was silent for a while and Inoichi closed his eyes, “Is that a yes, Kakashi? You have to speak for me to be able to know what you’re thinking.”

Kakashi gave Inoichi a deadpanned look, “I thought that you just needed to do that damn Jutsu of yours to look through someone’s head.”

Inoichi stared at Kakashi, unimpressed at his half-hearted attempt at a joke.

Kakashi sighed, “Yes, Inoichi-san, I’ve thought about harming or killing myself.”

“Have you ever attempted self-harm or suicide?”

Kakashi sighed, “Yes. I take high-ranking missions in the hopes that I won’t make it back.”

Inoichi nodded, “What about substance abuse? Do you take more medicine than you should, drink alcohol more than you should, or use any drugs that you shouldn’t?”

“Not really. I mean I take over-the-counter drugs to forget my anxiety if that counts.”

Inoichi nodded tiredly, “It does. Are you afraid of anything?”

Kakashi nodded silently, “Yes. I’m afraid of getting too close to someone and then losing them.”

“Are you afraid of hurting or killing people?”

Kakashi’s nod was slow and hesitant, “Y-yes, but only the people I’m close to.”

“What about guilt? Do you feel it often?”

“Yes.”

“Do you hate yourself?”

“...Yes.”

Inoichi motioned at the mirror, “When you look in a mirror, who do you see?”

Kakashi stared at the mirror for a while, “A friend killer.”

Inoichi frowned as he noted down his response, “This concludes the examination, Kakashi. Thank you for your time.”

\----

Inoichi frowned as he relistened to the two recordings that he had made earlier that day. He wanted to make sure that he had the best therapy plan for both men before bringing the recordings, transcripts, notes, and plan to Hiruzen.

Inoichi jolted when he heard a knock on his door, “Come in.”

Shikaku came in, “Hey Inoichi. You’ve been in here all day. Wanted to see if you wanted me to pick you something to eat.”

Inoichi nodded, sighing, “That would be appreciated, thank you, Shikaku.”

Shikaku nodded and hesitated, “That bad?”

Inoichi shook his head, “I had to do two examinations today, Shika. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t miss anything before going to Hiruzen-sama tomorrow.”

Shikaku nodded, “Alright. Don’t overwork yourself, Inoi.”

Inoichi chuckled and gave Shikaku a mock salute, “Yes sir.”

Shikaku chuckled and left the office, shaking his head at his friend’s antics.

\----

Inoichi sighed as he waited outside the door to Hiruzen’s office. He had everything ready but he knew that Hiruzen wouldn’t like what he was going to say.

He finally gathered up the courage to knock and he heard a gruff, “Come in.”

He entered and saw Shikaku and Itachi in the office as well. Both Kakashi and Michiaki had been told not to come in since this was about them.

“Good morning everyone,” Inoichi greeted. He received a chorus of greetings and Hirzuen then put the silencing seals up.

“The floor is yours, Inoichi.”


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inoichi talks to Hiruzen, Shikaku, and Itachi about Miachikai and Kakashi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! This chapter is a bit shorter than the previous one but just as necessary. The next chapter is going to be about the Coup D'etat and a couple of other things before Michiaki becomes a Shinobi of the Leaf Village (finally).
> 
> I'm sorry if this chapter and the next chapter is slow, but it's necessary for the build-up of the story plot. I thank everyone who's reading this re-write patiently.
> 
> If you enjoy this chapter, leave a vote and comment!

Inoichi smiled sadly as he set the two recording devices on Hiruzen’s desk, “These devices are the recordings of Michiaki Uzumaki’s and Kakashi Hatake’s mental evaluations. I will give you the transcripts for them in a second.”

Inoichi fished out six packets. He handed all three members of his audience two packets each. One packet was Michiaki’s evaluation and the other one was Kakashi’s evaluation.

“We’ll start with Michiaki Uzumaki,” Inochi stated and let his audience get settled before he started the correct device. 

\----

**Mental Health Examination**

Case Subject: Uzumaki Michiaki

Examiner: Yamanaka Inoichi

Observation by: N/A

Location: Torture and Interrogation Building

- _ START- _

[00:00:00]

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Alright then, we’ll get started. Please answer all the questions honestly. If we find out that you lied to us, then you can be suspended or even arrested depending on the severity of the situation. Start with your name and birthday, please. _

_ [Uzumaki smiled] _

**_Uzumaki:_** _My name is Michiaki Uzumaki and my birthday is November 10th. I’m sixteen years old._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ How was your relationship with your family, Michiaki? Was it a two-parent household, were they shinobi…? _

_ [Uzumaki frowns and glances around the room] _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Don't worry, Michiaki, only Hiruzen, Shikaku, Itachi, Kakashi and I will know what you say here unless it concerns your future teammates, then they may know as well. _

_ [Uzumaki nods] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ Thank you, Yamanaka-san. My parents were shinobi and it was a two-parent household. I… wasn’t that close to them. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Who do you normally hang out with? _

_ [Uzumaki frowns] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I don’t have any friends. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ How would you describe yourself? _

_ [Uzumaki exhales] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ Um, I don’t know? Stressed? _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ On a scale of one to ten, how much do you trust others? _

_ [Uzumaki tilts his head] _

**_Uzumaki;_ ** _ Five? Four? _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Can you tell me why a sixteen-year-old such as yourself is so untrustworthy? _

_ [Uzumaki sighed] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I… was abused as a child by my parents. I grew to be wary of other people but I put up a careless mask to cover up my wariness and make me go unnoticed by others around me. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you think you’re sensitive to what others think? _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ Yes, very. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ What about worrying? Do you find that you do that a lot? _

_ [Uzumaki tilts his head]  _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I… don’t think so? I might. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ What about indecisiveness? Do you have a hard time making decisions? _

_ [Uzumaki taps the table as he thinks about the question. Tapping seems to Uzumaki’s nervous reaction] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I double guess myself on everything I decide, if that’s what you mean. It’s how I make such good plans. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ It is. How often do you cry, Michiaki? _

_ [Uzumaki frowns and shuffles in his seat]  _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I used to, a lot. But recently, I can’t remember the last time that happened. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ How would you rate your temper on a scale from one to ten? _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ Ten. I can’t stand idiots or bullies and I’m not afraid to show it. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Is your guard ever lowered? I can see that it isn’t right now, but do you ever relax? _

_ [Uzumaki sighs]  _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ No. I don’t like to give someone a chance to hurt me. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ I’ve noticed that you’re distant, more so than most kids your age. Is there a reason for that? _

_ [Uzumaki tilts his head, obviously confused]  _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I thought that all kids my age were distant? _

_ [Yamanaka blinks and sets his pen down]  _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ No, they normally aren’t. Kids your age are usually sociable. _

_ [Uzumaki blinks]  _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ Nobody has ever [emphasis] wanted [end emphasis] to talk to me and if they did, they only did so to get close enough to me so they can hurt me.” _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Didn’t you ever report it? _

_ [Uzumaki scoffs] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ Who would believe a kid? _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Moving on, how’s your sleep schedule? How often do you have nightmares if you have any? _

_ [Uzumaki grunts]  _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I have frequent nightmares, possibly five a week? As for sleeping, I get around five to six hours every other day, if I’m lucky. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Have you ever witnessed a traumatic experience? _

_ [Uzumaki pauses] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ Yes. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you ever re-experience it? _

_ [Uzumaki looks away] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ “A-ano, what does that mean? _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ It’s in the name, it’s where a victim experiences the trauma like it was happening at that moment. It’s a bit different from a flashback since it usually includes physical symptoms. For example, a war veteran with scars may re-experience the feeling of the fight that caused the scars. They may even feel like their scars are opened. _

_ [Uzumaki nods slowly, deep in thought] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ Y-yes. [A pause] W-well, I think so, that is. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you ever have flashbacks of that event? _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ A-are flashbacks like waking nightmares? _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Yes. They usually don’t have any of the physical symptoms, though some people may re-experience the event during a flashback. For example, that same war veteran may remember the fight where he got those scars without necessarily feeling the pain that came with it. _

_ [Uzumaki nods and shifts in his seat]  _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ T-then yes. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ When reminded of it, do you avoid thoughts of it? _

_ [Uzumaki nods and stays quiet] _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you have any thoughts of self-harm or suicide? _

_ [Uzumaki frowns] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I-I’ve never thought of self-harm when I was younger, though I did excessively train to get stronger. As for suicide, I don’t think so. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Have you ever attempted self-harm or suicide? _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I-I don’t know. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ What about substance abuse? Do you take more medicine than you should, drink alcohol more than you should, or use any drugs that you shouldn’t? _

_ [Uzumaki hums] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I drink alcohol pretty often, though I never really get drunk because of it. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Are you afraid of anything? _

_ [Uzumaki closes his eyes] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ U-um, yes? _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Can you tell me what about?” _

_ [Uzumaki shuffles]  _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ W-well I’m scared of losing my loved ones and of experiencing war. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Those are common fears. Are you afraid of hurting or killing people? _

_ [Uzumaki’s eyes shoot open] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ No. Well, only my loved ones, but if I have to hurt or kill someone to protect my loved ones, then I’d do it without guilt.  _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ You mentioned guilt just now? Do you feel it often? _

_ [Uzumaki nods] _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you hate yourself, then? _

_ [Uzumaki tilts his head and looks to the side of the room] _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ I… used to. I’m not sure anymore. _

_ [Yamanka motions to the mirror in the middle of the table] _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ When you look in a mirror, who do you see? _

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _ A boy who just yearns for acceptance and acknowledgment. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ This concludes the examination, Michiaki. Thank you for your time. _

_ [End 00: 27: 58] _

\----

“Michiaki suffers from severe PTSD. His traumas are experiencing war and being abused his whole childhood. He is distant from everyone not because he  _ wants  _ to but because he doesn’t know that’s not how a teen his age acts. He suffers from survivor’s guilt and mild depression, though if it’s not treated now, it will become a major issue later in life,” Inoichi summarized for the three men in the room. “I feel like Michiaki would benefit from anger management classes and I’ve put him on the suicide watch list just in case. He’s admitted to overworking himself and drinking frequently.”

Hiruzen nodded, “That seems good. What is your therapy plan?”

“Focus on Michiaki’s PTSD, guilt, and depression and suggest that he take anger management classes. The last thing we need is for him to lose control of Kurama before it’s time. Also, we need to watch him make sure he doesn’t do anything to himself.”

Inoichi frowned and Shikaku glanced at him, “What is it, Inoi?”

“I want to look into how Naruto is treated. We don’t know if Michiaki’s childhood is exactly like Naruto’s since he comes from a different timeline, though I think that some things may stay the same, like Naruto being abused. I want him to have an evaluation before he graduates. I want him in as soon as possible.”

Hiruzen nodded, “He’s due to come to me for money tomorrow so I can talk to him then.”

Inoichi smiled, “Thank you, Hiruzen-sama.”

“You’re welcome, Inoichi-san. Next is Kakashi, right?”

Inoichi nodded, “Yes. He was a bit more difficult to decipher, but I think that I got everything.”

He waited for everyone to get settled once again before he played the second device.

\----

**Mental Health Examination**

Case Subject: Hatake Kakashi

Examiner: Yamanaka Inoichi

Observation by: N/A

Location: Torture and Interrogation Building

- _ START- _

[00:00:00]

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Alright then, Kakashi. We’ll get started. Please answer all the questions honestly. If we find out that you lied to us, then you can be suspended or even arrested depending on the severity of the situation. I already know a bit about you so we can skip the introductory questions. How was your relationship with your family? Was it a two-parent household, were they shinobi…? _

_ [Hatake freezes at the mention of his family] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ I never knew my mom. [A pause] She died when I was very young so I don’t know much about her. As for my dad, he raised me until I was around nine years old. He… killed himself one night. I was the one to find him. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ I’m sorry to hear that, Kakashi. Who do you normally hang out with? _

_ [Hatake sighs] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ I usually try to avoid everyone, but Gai Might can sometimes rope me into a rivalry. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ How would you describe yourself? _

_ [Hatake hums, thinking] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Distant. Asshole. Friend killer. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ On a scale of one to ten, how much do you trust others? _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ A one. Trusting other people just gets you killed in the end. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you think you’re sensitive to what others think? _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ No, I could care less what people think about me. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ What about worrying? Do you find that you do that a lot? _

_ [Hatake shakes his head] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Not that I know that I know of. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ What about indecisiveness? Do you have a hard time making decisions? _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ No, I tend to be very decisive in my decisions, it’s what makes me a good Anbu. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ How often do you cry, Kakashi? _

_ [Hatake frowns] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ It’s been a very long time since I cried, possibly after Minato-sensei’s death? Or was it after Rin’s death? _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Were you close to your father before he died?” _

_ [Hatake shakes his head slowly, wary] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Not really. We had our moments, but I reminded my father of my mother so he avoided me often. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** How would you rate your temper on a scale from one to ten?

_ [Hatake frowns] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ I don’t know? Possibly one unless someone threatens my team, though I haven’t had a team in a while. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Is your guard ever lowered? [A pause] I can see that it isn’t right now, but do you ever relax? How about taking down that mask? _

_ [Hatake stiffens] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ No, I’m never relaxed. You never know when someone might try and attack you. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ That’s understandable. [A pause] I apologize if this is overstepping any boundaries, but could you tell me about the mask? _

_ [Hatake nods slowly, clearly uncomfortable] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ I… I look like my mother, according to my father. He… couldn’t stand to see me and so he had me always wear a mask so he wouldn’t be reminded of his late wife. I just kept wearing it after his death. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ I’ve noticed that you’re distant, more so than most adults your age. Is there a reason for that? _

_ [Hatake nods thoughtfully] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Connections only serve to hurt you and the ones you love. If you don’t have connections, you won’t end up getting hurt. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ How’s your sleep schedule? How often do you have nightmares if you have any? _

_ [Hatake frowns] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ I don’t sleep very often due to very frequent nightmares. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Is that why you are late to everything? _

_ [Hatake shuffles in his seat] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ N-no. I’m late for everything because I like to visit the memorial stone and talk to my former team. I… spend a long time there only because I don’t keep track of time. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ I already know the answer to this, but for formality's sake, have you ever witnessed a traumatic experience? _

_ [Hatake nods] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Yes, at least three. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you ever re-experience it? _

_ [Hatake tilts his head] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ At first, yes, but it’s gotten better. I only occasionally see her blood on my hands. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you ever have flashbacks of that event? _

_ [Hatake looks to the side and closes his eyes] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Yes, just about every day. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ When reminded of it, do you avoid thoughts of it? _

_ [Hatake nods] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Yes. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you have any thoughts of self-harm or suicide? _

_ [Hatake goes silent _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Is that a yes, Kakashi? You have to speak for me to be able to know what you’re thinking. _

_ [Hatake gives Yamanaka a deadpanned look] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ I thought that you just needed to do that damn Jutsu of yours to look through someone’s head. [A pause and Hatake sighs] Yes, Inoichi-san, I’ve thought about harming or killing myself. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Have you ever attempted self-harm or suicide? _

_ [Hatake sighs] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Yes. I take high-ranking missions in the hopes that I won’t make it back. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ What about substance abuse? Do you take more medicine than you should, drink alcohol more than you should, or use any drugs that you shouldn’t? _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Not really. I mean I take over-the-counter drugs to forget my anxiety if that counts. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ It does. Are you afraid of anything? _

_ [Hatake nods] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Yes. I’m afraid of getting too close to someone and then losing them. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ “Are you afraid of hurting or killing people?” _

_ [Hatake nods slowly and hesitantly] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Y-yes, but only for the people I’m close to. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ What about guilt? Do you feel it often? _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ Yes. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ Do you hate yourself? _

**_Hatake:_ ** _...Yes. _

_ [Yamanaka motions at the mirror in the middle of the table] _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ When you look in a mirror, who do you see? _

_ [Hatake stares at the mirror for a while] _

**_Hatake:_ ** _ A friend killer. _

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _ This concludes the examination, Kakashi. Thank you for your time. _

_ [End 00: 27: 39] _

\----

“Kakashi suffers from severe depression and is paranoid that he’ll get close to people only for them to be torn away from him like his former team and father. He doesn’t like someone mentioning his family, former team, or his mask and will avoid topics like that as much as possible. He also suffers from survivor’s guilt,” Inoichi summarized. “It is possible that Kakashi is being victimized for what happened to his former teammates.”

Shikaku scowled at the mention of victimization. That was ugly to deal with as the perpetrators usually refused to change their beliefs so the therapist had to work on changing the patient’s thinking, which was hard to do at times.

“Kakashi is scared of connections and so avoids everyone whenever possible. He feels responsible for his team’s deaths. I’ve put him on the suicide watch list as well since he has openly admitted to having suicidal ideation and that he takes S-rank missions in the hopes that he dies. He has also admitted to taking over-the-counter anxiety medication.”

“Alright. What’s your therapy plan for him?”

“Focus on Kakashi’s guilt, depression, paranoia, and anxiety. The last thing we need is for him to be triggered during a mission and causing it to fail badly like the one that killed his former teammates. Also, we need to watch him make sure he doesn’t do anything to himself, well more than he already has.”

“Do you want me to keep sending Kakashi on S-rank missions?” Hiruzen asked and Inoichi frowned.

He looked at Itachi, who froze at the attention, “May I help you?”

Shikaku chuckled at Itachi’s suspension, “Don’t worry, he’s just trying to think about the best plan.”

“Are you ready for S-rank missions?” Inoichi asked suddenly.

Itachi nodded slowly, “Yes. You want me to join Hatake-san in his missions.”

Inoichi smiled, “That was a thought that I had, though it will be your choice ultimately.”

Itachi nodded, “I want to help Hatake-san and I would be willing to join him on his missions if he’ll allow me to.”

“Thank you, Itachi,” Hiruzen interjected. “I’ll inform Kakashi of the change and I’ll come back to you about his response. Or you can be here when I tell him.”

Itachi looked to the side thoughtfully, “I’d rather be here when you tell him so I can answer any questions that he may have about the pairing.”

Hiruzen nodded, “Alright, I’ll contact you when I’m going to tell him so you can join.”

Itachi nodded slowly, “Thank you, Hiruzen-sama.”

Hiruzen smiled sadly, “Now that has been worked out, we need to talk about the Coup D’etat.”


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Planning for the Coup D'etat, Naruto's Mental Health Exam, Michiaki's Physical Skills Exam, and Michiaki's promotion!
> 
> A lot of things are happening in this chapter so buckle up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! I'm sorry that it took so long to make this chapter, so I made it a bit longer than usual (I had a hard time figuring out a stopping point for this chapter T^T).
> 
> There are a few things that I want to say before I let you read this chapter.
> 
> 1) The next chapter will continue off of this chapter and will FINALLY pick up on the former chapters again, only not exactly? It will contain the former Chapter 3, but it's going to be changed a bit, #2 explains why.
> 
> 2)Since I moved this story two years before the original timeline, a LOT of stuff is going to change.
> 
> In just the next chapter:
> 
> -Future Kurama gets renamed during the next chapter. Also (spoiler alert), Naruto and Michiaki will never talk together mentally like in the original draft.
> 
> -The timing/backstory is changed which means what Michiaki tells Naruto is going to change a bit (not too much).
> 
> 3) As explained in #2, I moved this story two years back in the timeline so I'm going to be adding more details. This means that there are going to be a LOT more chapters than before as I am going to be doing a LOT of world-building and character-building in this story.
> 
> -I'm having trouble deciding what happens to Shisui, Mikoto, and the other non-supports for the massacre. It's going to take a while for it to happen, but I REALLY don't want to add any more OCs to this story (I'm starting to think that I need to create an OC book for all my stories ^-^;)
> 
> -Feel free to comment about what should happen! I'll consider it, but that may mean that I won't use the option. 
> 
> 4) The Mental Health Exams for Michiaki and Naruto and the Physical Skills Exam for Michiaki WILL be used again in the future. Michiaki's teammates will see the exams while Kakashi will see Naruto's when it's time for Team 7 to finally become a thing.
> 
> I believe that's everything for now, if you enjoy this chapter please leave a vote and comment!

“Alright, now we need to talk about the Coup D’etat,” Hiruzen started.

Itachi nodded, “My father is obsessed with power. We  _ could _ nip this in the bud by allowing the Uchihas more access within Konoha and the police force.”

Hiruzen nodded, “And if it doesn’t appease their thirst for power?”

Itachi frowned and glanced at Inoichi, who sighed, “The Massacre  _ may _ not be able to be avoided. The Uchihas are so deep-set in their ways that it might not be possible to avoid such a disaster. What we  _ could _ do is figure out who is against the idea of a Coup D’etat. The children and you are the biggest non-supports that we know of, right?”

Itachi nodded, “Yes. I’ll talk to my mother. Perhaps we can save the children and the non-supporters so Sasuke doesn’t have to grow up alone. Maybe we could also do a public execution? It would put a bad rap on the Uchiha Clan, yes, though that would be better than leading everyone on and making one person the scapegoat.”

Shikaku nodded, “And if we can’t accomplish that?”

Itachi sighed, “If you’re asking if I’m comfortable becoming Konoha’s scapegoat, I’m not. But I will if it means saving Konoha.”

Hiruzen smiled sadly while Inoichi frowned, “Itachi, I’m going to make a packet for you. It’s the mental examination packet that I carry around. If we can’t avoid you becoming the scapegoat in two years, then I want you to fill it out as you leave Konoha. I’m not sure about Hiruzen-sama, but I want you to be able to come back to Konoha in the future.”

Itachi smiled briefly before nodding, “Understood, Yamanaka-san. I’m assuming that you’ll be taking care of Sasuke and the other non-supporters after the Massacre?”

Inoichi nodded, a sigh forming on his lips, “Yes, though I’ll have the other intelligence members help out since it will probably be on a bigger scale than normal.”

\----

Inoichi quirked an eyebrow as Itachi struggled with Naruto. Everybody had decided that Itachi should retrieve the rowdy boy since he had helped the blonde before.

“I said that Hiruzen-sama wants to talk to you!” Inoichi heard Itachi yelp as Naruto tried to bite his arm. It was an amusing scene and Inoichi, Hiruzen, and Shikaku felt no need to help the poor Anbu member out.

“And I said I have no idea who this Hiruzen fella is, dattebayo!”

Inoichi frowned at that, that didn’t seem right.

“You should, you call him Jiji every time you see him!” Itachi yelled at the infuriating blonde and sighed in relief when the boy finally stilled in his arms.

“Jiji? Does Jiji want to speak to me? Why didn't cha tell me in the first place, dattebayo?”

Inoichi snickered at the interaction and felt his smile falter when the boy turned the corner only to see two strangers in the room. He watched as Naruto grew defensive.

“I swear I haven’t been doin’ anything naughty, Jiji!”

Hiruzen sighed, “That’s not why I wanted to speak to you, Naru-chan.” He pointed at the older blonde, “The blonde here in Inoichi Yamanaka.”

Naruto glanced at Inoichi warily, “The flower guy?”

Shikaku snorted at the nickname while Inoichi smiled fondly, “Yes, I’m the guy who tends the flower shop. I’m also the head of the Intelligence Division in T&I.”

Naruto froze like a deer in headlights at the mention of T&I and Inoichi frowned.

“Naruto, you’re not in trouble.”

Naruto glared at the older blonde suspiciously, “Then why do cha want to speak to me, dattebayo?”

Inoichi smiled fondly at his speech pattern, which was similar to his older counterparts, “I heard about something concerning in regards to your living conditions from someone who doesn’t want me to say their name and I wanted to make sure that you were alright.”

Naruto blinked at the information, “Eh? Concern? For me?”

Inoichi sighed and knelt to Naruto’s height, “That’s right Naruto. I’m concerned about your well-being and wanted to take you somewhere for a test.”

Naruto blanched at the idea of a written test and Inoichi chuckled.

“Don’t worry, Naruto, you won’t have to write anything, all you have to do is speak honestly.”

“Not a written test?” Naruto asked, tilting his head like a fox kit.

Inoichi chuckled, “Yes, Naruto. You won’t have to write anything, I’ll be doing that. May I carry you?”

Naruto frowned, “I’m not a kid, flower guy.”

Inoichi tilted his head, “Yes you are, you’re only six years old.”

Naruto relented and let the strange man pick him up, marveling at his gentleness, and couldn’t help but wonder if the man only cared about him because he didn’t know that he was a demon.

-

“Alright then, we’ll get started,” Inoichi started as soon as Naruto was settled. “This is being recorded so I need you to answer these questions with a hundred percent honesty. If we find out that you lied to us, then you can be suspended or even arrested depending on the severity of the situation. Start with your name and birthday please.”

Naruto stared at the man warily and Inoichi smiled kindly. The man pointed at the large mirror on the wall.

“You see that mirror?” Naruto nodded. “Jiji is behind that mirror, watching us, so please don’t feel frightened by me. Pretend I’m Jiji for a few moments.”

Naruto nodded slowly, “I-I’m Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo! M-my birthday is October 10th and I’m six years old.”

Inoichi smiled while on the inside he was frowning at the obvious nervousness that the boy was showing just by telling him his name and birthday. He was angry at the villagers who should know better than to shove their grief on the shoulders of a boy not old enough to be a Shinobi.

“Thank you. I heard that you live by yourself. How was your relationship with the orphanage? Was it a two-parent household, were they shinobi…?”

Naruto was stunned for a moment before he visibly shook out of it, “A-ano, I do live by myself. Jiji helps me out by giving me an allowance every month. The orphanage was run by a mistress. A-ano, what’s a shi-shinobi?”

Inoichi smiled, “Shinobi is another word for Ninja.”

Naruto hummed, “I don’t think that she was a Shinobi. She ran the orphanage by herself so I think that she was stressed.”

Inoichi nodded, “Who do you normally hang out with?”

“Jiji!” Naruto cheered, smiling happily.

Inoichi frowned, “Don’t you have any friends?”

It was Naruto’s turn to frown, “Who would want to be friends with a demon?”

“Is that how you would describe yourself?”

Naruto frowned, “N-no, that’s how others describe me. They call me a demon, freak, monster, and a fox. Why a fox of all things?”

Inoichi smiled sadly, “Most of the villagers had a bad experience with foxes a while back. How would  _ you _ describe yourself, Naruto?”

Naruto frowned, “I dunno. Loud, annoying, lazy?”

Inoichi sighed, “I have a feeling that’s what your teachers have called you, am I correct?”

Naruto nodded sheepishly, “Y-yeah. I like to think that I’m smart but everyone tells me I’m dumb and my test scores show that even though I was pretty sure those were the correct answers.” Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and both Hiruzen and Inoichi made a note to look into Naruto’s education to make sure that he wasn’t being targeted unfairly. 

Inoichi flipped the page, “On a scale of one to ten, how much do you trust others?”

“T-trust? U-Um one or three I guess?”

Inoichi glanced up sharply, “Could you explain why you have such a hard time trusting others, Naruto?”

Naruto shuffled uncomfortably, “A-ano, I get hurt by strangers more often than helped or even shown kindness. A-ano! It was my fault for thinking anyone would be kind to a demon like me!”

Inoichi frowned, “Do you think you’re sensitive to what others think?”

“Yes.”

That made sense since he was called a demon and monster during most of his waking hours. It would make anyone nervous about what someone was thinking about them.

Inoichi could just about see the inner turmoil that his actions were causing Naruto.

_ Was he being nice because he didn’t know about him? No, that wasn’t possible since nearly everybody in Konoha knew about him so that ruled the first question as false. Why was he being nice to him if he knew who he was? _

_ Was he just doing it to get on Jiji’s good side? No, the man didn’t seem like the type to do that type of thing, he seemed sincere in his actions. _

_ Was he doing it out of genuine concern? Why? It doesn’t make any sense! _

“What about worrying?” Inoichi asked, bringing the younger blonde out of his thoughts. “Do you find that you do that a lot?”

“Worrying? Yeah, I worry that I won’t be able to eat today. Thankfully Teuchi-Jiji gives me free ramen every once in a while!”

Inoichi frowned were the villagers trying to starve the boy? He made it his mission to henge himself and observe the villagers’ actions.

“What about indecisiveness? Do you have a hard time making decisions?”

“Decisions?”

Inoichi chuckled, “Choices. Do you have a hard time choosing things?”

Naruto shook his head, “Not that I know of, dattebayo!”

Inoichi nodded, “How often do you cry, Naruto? What I mean by this, is how often do you let go of negative emotions in the form of crying? You would feel exhausted but better afterward.”

Naruto frowned, “A-ano, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that, to be honest with cha.”

Inoichi nodded, “Were you close to the orphanage mistress?”

Naruto shook his head, “To be honest, I think she hated me. She would make me do all the chores by myself and the other kids would look on and laugh if I messed up.”

Inoichi frowned as he noted his response and flipped the page, “Continuing, how would you rate your temper on a scale from one to ten?”

“Temper? A three right now, though it’s probably at a seven for the rest of the time. I hate how everyone treats me and so I sometimes retaliate with pranks.”

Inoichi nodded, “That’s understandable, just try to keep your pranks as harmless as possible please.” He paused. “Is your guard ever lowered? I can see that it isn’t right now, but do you ever relax?”

“No, my door doesn’t work that well and so the villagers tend to wreck my house often.”

“I’ve noticed that you’re distant, more so than most kids your age. Is there a reason for that?”

“Distant?”

“You don’t connect well with people.”

“Who would want to be seen if the demon?”

“How’s your sleep schedule? How often do you have nightmares if you have any?”

Naruto frowned, “I sleep very lightly in case the villagers try to hurt me during the night. I don’t have very many nightmares and they are very short when they do happen.”

Inoichi frowned as he flipped the page. Was Kurama trying to protect his vessel’s mental state even when he was hate-filled? Why?

“Have you ever witnessed a traumatic experience?”

“Traumatic experience?”

Inoichi sighed, “ Traumatic events can be defined as experiences, or events, that put either a person or someone close to them at risk of serious harm or death. These can include violence, prolonged abuse, and natural disasters like an earthquake.”

Naruto frowned, “P-prolonged abuse?”

“Do you know what abuse is?”

Naruto shook his head and Inoichi sighed again.

“Abuse is the improper treatment of someone, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, rape, or other types of aggression.”

Naruto’s frown became deeper, “I thought all kids experience all of those daily?”

Inoichi felt like crying for the blonde boy in front of him who didn’t know any better.

“I’m going to ask this again and please answer according to the information that you just learned. Have you ever witnessed a traumatic experience?”

Naruto nodded, “Yes.”

“Do you ever re-experience it? Meaning, do you feel as though you are living through it once again?”

Naruto frowned, “A-ano, I think so?”

“Do you ever have flashbacks of that event or those events? Meaning do you ever watch it happen again, though like you are looking through someone else’s eyes?”

Naruto nodded, “Yeah, I do a lot, though it’s usually just in my nightmares. Does that count?”

Inoichi frowned, “I’m not sure. Do you ever have flashbacks during the day time?”

Naruto shook his head.

Inoichi nodded, “If you ever started having flashbacks, please try and remember what triggered it. Meaning what you saw, heard, smelt, felt, or tasted that made you remember it. If you can remember that, or even if you can’t, please come to me or Jiji about having it and we’ll help you work around it, okay?”

Naruto nodded, a hint of a smile on his face.  _ Maybe I can trust him _ .

“When reminded of that event or events, do you avoid thoughts of it?”

Naruto nodded slowly, “I think so?”

Inoichi nodded, “Continuing, do you have any thoughts of self-harm or suicide? Meaning do you want to hurt yourself or kill yourself?”

Naruto nodded, “I’ve thought about hurting myself before but then Jiji’s disappointed face flew into my mind if he ever found out so I didn’t do it. I don’t like disappointing Jiji.”

Inoichi nodded, “Have you ever attempted self-harm or suicide?”

Naruto shook his head, “I always stopped myself from doing that, dattebayo!”

“Are you afraid of anything?”

Naruto tilted his head, “I think so? I might be afraid of losing people after getting close to them?”

Inoichi nodded, “That’s understandable. Are you afraid of hurting or killing people?”

Naruto nodded, “That would only prove to everyone that I am what they call me, dattebayo!” 

“What about guilt, Naruto? Do you feel it often?”

Naruto froze, “Guilt?”

“The feeling that you did something wrong that you have to fix.”

Naruto nodded, “I feel it everyday…” His voice trailed off and Inoichi knew that he was thinking about the slurs that he was called every day.

“Do you hate yourself?”

“Do I hate myself?” Naruto paused before nodding, “Y-yes.” 

“When you look in a mirror, who do you see?”

“A demon.”

Inoichi frowned as he gathered the pages, “This concludes the examination, Naruto. Thank you for your time.”

-

As soon as Inoichi was alone with Shikaku, he broke down. Shikaku was startled by the suddenness of it and frowned when he remembered that Inoichi had given Naruto a mental evaluation. The Nara wasted no more time before pulling his closest friend tight against his chest.

He rubbed calming circles on the blonde’s back and listened as the blonde sobbed out incoherent sentences that sounded suspiciously like Naruto’s nonexistent social life.

He didn’t understand any of it, but he didn’t  _ need _ to. He just needed to be there for his friend, who was crying over a boy who was so alone and didn’t know any better.

\----

Michiaki stared at the Chunin across from him. He was a Hyuuga, so it would be harder to win against him. Not that Michiaki hadn’t won against a Hyuuga before, not that anybody  _ knew _ that except for Kurama.

Hyuugas could see 360 degrees around themselves with their Byakugan activated and used this to make a nearly impenetrable defense around themselves with only one blind spot right on top of their spine, which was difficult to reach with their defense, which could repel  _ anything _ .

It didn’t help that Hyuugas are great at chakra control as a given since they needed it for their Taijutsu style and special attacks.

Michiaki had a sinking suspicion that Hinoji, the fifteen-year-old Chunin was a Jonin, or worse an Anbu prodigy. This meant that this test was less about defeating a Chunin and becoming one and more about if he could defeat an undercover Anbu.

Or worse, if he could recognize that someone was an Anbu and then act accordingly.

Michiaki sent a subtle glare to Hiruzen, who had the audacity to act innocent. Michiaki sighed longsufferingly and he knew that everyone caught it and his ‘kill me now’ look.

The proctor of the exam grinned, “Alright you brats -Naruto’s eyebrow twitched at the nickname and so did Hinoji’s- here are the rules of the exam! Both of you are going to fight until either one of you gives in or is unable to continue fighting. The match will end once one of you dies, admits defeat, or cannot physically continue. Of course, it will be better if you’d concede before a fatal outcome. As the proctor, I reserve the right to step in and stop the fight if I feel that there is a clear winner. Do both of you understand the rules?”

The proctor glanced at Hinoji, who nodded, “I understand.”

The proctor then glanced at Michiaki, who also nodded, “I understand as well.”

“Alright! Ready? Fight!” The proctor quickly retreated to the observation area where he’d be out of the way.

Michiaki narrowed his eyes, quickly teleporting just out of range of the Hyuuga’s  _ Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms _ technique, which was a pain in the ass, literally, ‘ _ Should I do it?’ _

**_‘This exam is to showcase your abilities and show why you should be a Shinobi. Showcase your leadership and strategy skills as much as your Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. Showcase your chakra control as well,’_ ** Kurama drawled, causing Michiaki to mentally scoff lightly.

Michiaki frowned, ‘ _ We need to talk later. _ ’

**_‘I know. Focus on your exam, for now, kit.’_ **

Michiaki mentally nodded and focused his attention back on the Hyuuga, who was having considerable trouble locating him, or it looked like he was. Michiaki grinned and focused on his chakra levels, making sure to only call the amount needed for one shadow clone.

It popped into existence and Michiaki grinned, “You know what to do!”

The clone grinned back and ran straight towards the Hyuuga, dodging the immediate  _ Gentle Fist _ counterattack. Hiruzen and Inoichi both raised an eyebrow at Michiaki’s Taijutsu style.

The real Michiaki stayed out of sight as the fight continued between the clone and the Hyuuga. The clone made sure to not ever get hit, as he’d dispel and then the whole game would be over.

The fight ended a few moments later and it startled everyone. The first thing that startled them was when Michiaki let himself be hit, only to dispel in a cloud of smoke. The second thing was a ball of blue chakra that flew through the smoke towards the Hyuuga, who immediately used the  _ Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation Heaven _ technique, which only the Hyuuga Heirs were supposed to be able to use.

The second to last thing that surprised them was when Hinoji stopped spinning, only to fall due to being hit at the top of the spine with a Kunai. The last surprise was when Michiaki caught the Hyuuga with a gentleness that didn’t fit the ruthless Taijutsu style that he was using earlier.

\----

Hiruzen blinked innocently at the red-haired teen who was glaring at him, “What did you think that exam was about, Michiaki?”

Itachi and Kakashi were startled by the question, not having expected it.

Michiaki’s eyebrow twitched again and he sighed, “ This test was less about defeating a Chunin and becoming one and more about if I could defeat an undercover Anbu. Or, if I could recognize that someone was an Anbu and then act accordingly.”

Michiaki paused and Hiruzen tilted his head, “Why do you think that, Michiaki-kun?”

“I noticed that Hinoji-san stared at me with the same calculating gaze as I did, which most Chunins lack. Most  _ Jounins _ lack that same calculating gaze. It’s usually only seen with people with Anbu-level skills so I assumed that he was either a secret Jounin or an Anbu prodigy. Either way, this was never to see if I had enough skill to be a Chunin.”

Hiruzen grinned and Michiaki glared at him. Inoichi huffed a small laugh, “I told you that he’d see through it, Hiruzen-sama.”

Hiruzen chuckled, “That you did.” He turned his attention back to the red-head, who was still irritated, “Michiaki-kun, the skills that you showcased when you went against the Anbu member Hyuuga Hinoji has shown that you are on the level of an Anbu. If you want, you can go ahead and join the Anbu forces.”

Michiaki frowned, “What would everyone think if I accepted that offer? I mean, I’m a foreign Shinobi that no one's seen before and I’m able to defeat an Anbu, which is one of your strongest Shinobis. That would be suspicious, wouldn’t it?”

Inoichi smiled at Michiaki’s thought process, “What do you suggest?”

Michiaki hummed, “Let me join the Chunin forces. I’ve always wanted to experience going up the Ninja Ranks naturally. During this time, I’ll switch to the fox summons and start my Medical Ninjutsu training.”

Hiruzen nodded, “That’s fine. I have your Chunin vest available right now if you want to take it.”

Michiaki nodded and grabbed the green vest and put it on, frowning at the lack of color. Hiruzen chuckled at his put-off expression.

“You’re allowed to customize your clothing to your tastes, Michiaki-kun.”

Michiaki smiled softly, “Thanks, Hiru-Jiji.”

Inoichi laughed at the nickname and HIruzen smirked, “You’re welcome Michi-kun.” 

The room went silent for a while as Hiruzen, Shikaku, and Inoichi braced themselves for Michiaki’s next questions.

“A-ano, I have two questions. Where am I staying? And who’s going to be my Chunin Sensei?”


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The closing end of Michiaki's promotion followed by Michiaki finally meeting Naruto.
> 
> Itachi thinks about a couple of things while Michiaki talks to Kurama, who's now known as Kyoshi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! I have a few things I want to say about this chapter (and the future chapters as well).
> 
> 1) Danzo Shimura is good (oops spoiler alert for my new readers). He's also the former Jonin Commander, former (current) Root leader, current Anbu Commander (he's only holding it until a better replacement comes along), and a member of the council. Hiruzen, Inoichi, and Shikaku all approve of his leadership positions.
> 
> 2) I just realized that this chapter is the former chapter 3. It's twice as long as the former rough draft and I love it right now. As I explained in the last chapter, I'm doing a TON of world-building and character-building before any romance or action begins, and even then, there's going to be a LOT of character-building after each action scene. With each action scene, there's going to a revelation in regards to Michiaki's character (or someone else's) and how that affects others around him (them).
> 
> 3) I accidentally lost the original new Chapter 6 so I had to rewrite it T^T. I think it's turned out pretty good, better than the first version. It was hard, but I managed. It's about twice as long as the original Chapter 3 (the original Chapter 3 was just over 1000 words while this chapter is about 2400 words on Google docs). I thought about adding pieces from the original chapter 4 but decided against it despite the number of things happening in the next chapters. I felt like it would be better to allow the fourth day to have its own beginning chapter instead of running it into this chapter like I have been doing.
> 
> 4) I'm so sorry for not explaining this before but it's the third day after Michiaki's time travel into the past. The first day was when Michiaki arrived and had his evaluation. The second day was when Inoichi gave his report on Michiaki's and Kakashi's mental health and Naruto had his evaluation. Since Inoichi had a meltdown after Naruto's evaluation, Michiaki's physical skills exam (PSE) didn't happen until the next day, the third day. Michiaki's promotion was after the PSE and on the same day so this chapter is the closing of the third day.
> 
> 5) The next chapters are going to have five major things happening. >Apartment shopping with Kakashi and Itachi (like the original chapters) >Michiaki's false identity announcement to the village at around noon >Michiaki talking to his new team (the four-man team and Shikaku) >The fox summons transfer (which will happen after dinner) >The start of training (I'm thinking that this is going to be the next day).
> 
> 6)^I just realized that this story is going to be REALLY long compared to the original draft. It's going to be an actual slow build rather than the fast-paced crap that I originally wrote.
> 
> 7) (SPOILER ALERT) For those of you wondering, Naruto is still going to be scouted for Anbu after the Land of Waves mission. I forgot about his Kekkei Genkai and I have no idea what I was thinking about that.
> 
> I believe that's it! If you enjoy this chapter, please leave a vote and comment!

"A-ano, I have two questions. Where am I staying? And who's going to be my Chunin Sensei?"

Hiruzen smiled, “Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha volunteered earlier today to take you apartment shopping after this meeting is done.”

Michiaki turned to the duo, “Thanks, Silver hound, Itachi-kun.”

Itachi regarded the red-head silently, “Don’t I get a nickname?”

Michiaki and Inoichi snickered, “Do you want one?”

Itachi nodded quickly, ignoring Hiruzen’s and Kakashi’s chuckles at his enthusiasm.

Michiaki hummed, “I know that my younger self liked to call you ‘tear duct.’ My nicknames are to help recognize someone when I see them so I can remember important information like which people are most likely to hurt or help me.”

Itachi, Kakashi, and Hiruzen were stunned at the information, while Inoichi and Shikaku just watched the teen silently.

“You’re most likely to help me so… Raven.”

Itachi blinked, “Why raven?”

Michiaki copied Itachi’s expression, to everyone’s amusement, “Isn’t that your summons? Plus, your hair and eyes make you look like a human raven… a  _ handsome _ human raven,” Michiaki amended quickly.

Kakashi chuckled and Michiaki sent the man a glare. Hiruzen sighed at the unspoken warning that the red-head had given the silver-haired man.

Itachi smiled -or as close as an Uchiha came to smiling outside the clan compound- at the nickname and Michiaki finally turned his attention back to Hiruzen.

“Shikaku Nara has also volunteered to apprentice you.”

Michiaki gave Hiruzen a deadpanned look, “Let me guess, it’s to keep me close to Yamanaka-san so he can keep an eye on my mental health?”

Shikaku hummed and Michiaki turned his attention to the Jonin Commander, “Yes, you’re right, but I also heard about your skills and your goals and I want to help you achieve them. I know someone who would be willing to help you out in the Medical Ninjutsu aspect, though you’ll only be able to talk to them if you accept my proposal.”

Michiaki hummed, “Anbu?”

Shikaku nodded, chuckling, “Yes. I’ve got a four-man Anbu team looking to take on a fifth member and they’re specifically looking for a Chunin Prodigy like yourself.”

Michiaki blinked, “A five-man team? That’s unusual.”

Shikaku chuckled again, “It is. It’s even more unusual when you think about their abilities. One is a diplomatic assassin, one is a Hunter Nin, one is the medic, and the last one is the informant. They’re looking for someone who can make reliable plans and your physical exam showed that you’re able to do that pretty quickly. If you want, I can talk to the team leader about setting up a meeting with you.”

Michiaki frowned, “Will they have to know about my past?”

Shikaku frowned, “Most likely, though I think the team leader and the diplomat will be the ones to need your identity and past. The other two will only need your backstory, mental health evaluation, physical skills exam, and your physical exam to see your health.”

Michiaki nodded, “That’s understandable. Do I have permission to tell the other two my identity and past if my well-being is compromised?”

Hiruzen nodded, “Yes. Only tell them if there’s no other choice. Make sure there are no survivors and that they understand that your identity  _ cannot _ leave that group under any circumstance until it’s no longer avoidable.”

Michiaki nodded, “Alright.” He stiffened, then nervously chuckled, “I guess I need to  _ accept _ your offer before planning anything, huh?”

Shikaku chuckled at Michiaki’s airheadedness.

Michiaki turned his full attention to Shikaku and bowed respectfully to the Commander, “Thank you for your offer, Nara-san. I accept it gratefully and I hope that I can live up to any of your expectations.”

\----

A few hours later, Michiaki walked slightly behind Kakashi through the streets in Konoha in an attempt to seem like he didn't know where he was going. It was the third day he was in Konoha and it was unrealistic that he’d be able to navigate the large village easily.

Itachi was beside Michiaki and was looking for Naruto. He finally spotted the blonde a few minutes later talking excitedly to a quiet Sasuke and smiled. Michiaki also smiled when he spotted the two boys a few moments later. 

Sasuke spotted Itachi and ran towards him, pulling a confused Naruto behind him. "Oniisan, can this dobe stay over for dinner tonight?"

Naruto interjected, "I don't want to trouble you guys and besides, tear-duct is with people right now!"

Itachi smiled fondly at Naruto's nickname for him, remembering what Michiaki had told him earlier as well as when he had struggled to get the blonde to Hiruzen the day before, "I don't see why not, Otouto, Naruto-kun. Besides, Kakashi-san is showing Michiaki-san around Konoha right now. I was volunteered to help if Kakashi-san ever brought out that book of his again." 

Kakashi twitched at the mention of his Icha Icha books.

Sasuke and Naruto looked over to Michiaki, who was currently looking for an escape route with no success. 

"Michiaki?" Naruto asked curiously. "What's his last name?"

Michiaki sweatdropped as Itachi chuckled, he was  _ definitely _ enjoying Michiaki's suffering as payback for divulging an S-rank secret to his Anbu captain.

"Hokage-sama doesn't want his last name to get around to everyone just yet,” Itachi explained quietly, almost confidentiality which only made Naruto’s and Sasuke’s curiosity for the foreign teenager deepen. “He'll make a public announcement about Michiaki’s identity tomorrow afternoon. Hokage-sama, however, has sanctioned us to tell Naruto-kun his last name if he promises to keep it a secret.”

"I can keep a secret, dattebayo!"

Itachi and Michiaki both chuckled fondly at Naruto's outburst. 

"I believe it," Michiaki replied, noting how Naruto’s eyes widened briefly in shock. "My last name is Uzumaki. I'm your cousin, Naruto-kun."

Naruto was shocked into silence for a minute, before inhaling for another outburst. Before Naruto could say anything, Michiaki continued.

"I've been isolated from Konoha all my life, Naruto. I lived with my parents in the Land of Whirlpools all my life but they died recently. They left me a letter from my Obasan, Kushina Uzumaki, which stated that I would be welcomed here in Konoha if anything happened to my parents. I came here to see if I could become a Konoha nin and if I had any next of kin that I could live with. That's how I learned about your existence, Naruto-kun."

Naruto was again shocked into silence, "Are you an orphan too, then?"

"Hai. My parents died four years ago and I've been traveling around the country ever since," Michiaki explained, a sad smile finding his way onto his face. "I knew that kaasan had a sister, but I never thought of asking if she had any living family I could live with, or else I would’ve come sooner."

Naruto grabbed Michiaki's hand, "Well you can be my niisan now!"

Michiaki was startled but relaxed before any of them could comment on his strange behavior, "I'd be honored to be your niisan, Naruto-kun."

Itachi smiled, "Do you want Michiaki-san to join us, otouto?"

Sasuke glanced at Michiaki and nodded, "I'm sure the dobe wants to get to know his new niisan, so he can join if he wants to."

Itachi grinned, "Alright, what do you say Michiaki-san?"

Michiaki chuckled, "It seems that I'm wanted, so I'll join. Gomen, Kakashi-san. I'll go apartment shopping with you tomorrow."

Both Michiaki and Itachi laughed at Kakashi's groan as both of them were pulled in the direction of the Uchiha compound by their respective younger brother. It didn't take long to get to Itachi's home and Michiaki felt himself grow more and more nervous. He had never met Sasuke's parents before the Massacre as Itachi had denied Naruto coming over for dinner that night and he had never asked after the initial denial.

It turned out that their parents were late for dinner that night, having been to a meeting all afternoon and into the early evening. They were shocked at the two guests but offered to let them stay overnight anyway. Naruto was overjoyed at the prospect of a sleepover because he had never been a part of one before and it took an hour for him to settle down. He and Sasuke trained during that time and Michiaki was pleased to see Sasuke point out and try to fix a couple of Naruto's flaws without prompting.

Itachi watched as Michiaki steadily grew more relaxed as the evening turned into night. He had noticed Michiaki's tenseness throughout the day, but never commented on it, assuming that he had bad memories of the destroyed village. He also thought about the odd wording surrounding Michiaki’s acceptance when he joined for dinner, which set off soft red warning bells. 

The advice that Michiaki had given him earlier also rang through his head. Itachi understood that the massacre was possibly the only solution and as the night wore on, he found himself trying to concoct what to say to Sasuke when it inevitably happened in a couple of years. He knew that he needed to talk to Shisui, Mikoto, and Izumi about it before it got any later.

As soon as Michiaki fell asleep he was pulled into his subconscious. He smiled up at Kurama, who already looked a lot better with only three days of rest, "Hey Kurama, how are you feeling?"

**"Better, but there's something I should warn you about,"** Kurama grumbled. Michiaki tilted his head, a sign for Kurama to continue.  **"Like you told Sarutobi, you want to keep your senjutsu and tailed beast skills a secret."**

"Hai! That way people underestimate me more!"

**"That means that you can't use my chakra at all until you're forced to reveal your identity. Which means you can't train with my chakra, even in secret."**

Michiaki nodded, "That makes sense. Sensory ninjas would be able to tell right away that something was up because your chakra is special.” He frowned, “That doesn’t mean that I don’t like that idea, though I could use that time to get stronger. What about my senjutsu, is it okay if I train with that in secret?"

Kurama nodded,  **"Yes, but I would refrain from using your Sage Mode and just focus on the meditation and manipulation aspects. If you could increase your chakra levels in that way, that could greatly affect your abilities down the road. Also, Fox Sage mode is** **_much_ ** **different from Toad Sage mode. I’ll help you get there so don’t worry too much about that. It might also be a good idea to work with weights and go back to basic chakra control, as medical ninjutsu requires great chakra control. That Anbu Medic will be able to help you with that."**

Michiaki nodded again, "The weights would help increase my speed and strength just like with Guy-san and Leekun. Of course, I wouldn't just be carrying weights around, I would be working out with them. What weight should I start with?"

Kurama sat in thought,  **"You're pretty strong in the Sage Mode but pretty weak outside it, even though you've trained extensively. I'm guessing that we should start with 20 pounds and depending on how easy it is for you, either change the weight or keep it."**

Michiaki nodded, "That sounds like a good plan. When should I start?"

_ "Now you're asking for advice?"  _ asked Minato, who was still hung up on the 'Kurama-san' comment from a couple of days ago.

**"Your father is starting to annoy me, kit."**

"He's still here? Last time he vanished pretty quickly."

_ "Last time you didn't completely rip off the seal." _

"Last time you stopped me before I could even try,” Michiaki countered. He tilted his head, “Why did you do nothing this time?"

_ "I didn't sense any negative emotions from you or the Kyuubi, so I decided to see what would happen." _

"You saw, now you can leave tousan."

Minato looked hurt, but he understood that he had overstayed his welcome,  _ "Well then, I guess it's goodbye for good now." _

Michiaki nodded sadly, "Hai."

Kurama and Michiaki watched as Minato vanished for the second time.  **"How did you know that he'd be gone for good?"**

"I remember him telling me that he had put his chakra in the seal to protect it, so I assumed that if the original seal was destroyed, his chakra would disappear as well."

Kurama regarded Michiaki for a few moments before he noticed, "What? You have a weird expression on your face." Kurama deadpanned, causing Michiaki to softly laugh and put his arms up in defense, "It isn't a bad thing, I was just curious about what you were thinking to make you look at me in that way."

Kurama scoffed before looking away,  **"To answer your question, you should probably start weight training as soon as possible. So tomorrow after the announcement. We can also do the transfer to the fox summons so someone can watch over your training.”**

Michiaki sighed, “There’s so much going on tomorrow! Speaking to the four-man team, apartment shopping, the announcement, the fox summons transfer, and finally the start of training. Is my schedule always going to be so packed?”

Kurama scoffed,  **“Most likely, but you already knew that. For now, let’s take it one day at a time, kit.”**

Michiaki nodded, “Thanks, Kura.” He paused, “There’s… another problem that we need to talk about.”

Kurama rolled his eyes but let Michiaki speak his mind.

“There are two Kurama’s now, the same as there being two Naruto’s. We’ve already changed my name, now we need to change yours.”

Kurama sighed, he had known that this would come up during the exam earlier that day, “What about Kiyoshi? It means ‘purified.’”

Michiaki blinked, “Are you sure you want to be called that? I’ll be telling the other seven as soon as I can.”

Kiyoshi grumbled,  **“I'm going to sleep."**

Michiaki laughed before fondly saying, "Lazy fox."

He left Kiyoshi's area and entered into the "dreaming area," as he liked to call it. Michiaki had gotten better at going in-between the two areas during the last five years of his timeline.

Michiaki immediately regretted thinking of his timeline as he began to dream about the wars, the destroyed Konoha village, and the smiling faces of his friends and family as they sent him into the past to try and fix the future.

Kiyoshi  _ had _ planned on going to sleep, but he quickly became aware that Michiaki was having  _ those _ nightmares again. He did his best to create a calming dream for his kit. 

He  _ hated _ it when Michiaki had nightmares. 

The fox told himself that it was because he couldn't sleep if Michiaki was mumbling nonsensical words in his sleep, but he felt that wasn't the full case. He didn't know why, but he made a promise to comfort his kit whenever possible.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiaki and Itachi go to wake up Kakashi and then Itachi leaves to buy Sasuke a present.
> 
> Michiaki and Kakashi go apartment shopping before making their way to the Hokage Tower to get ready for the announcement.
> 
> Inoichi, Kakashi, and Itachi leave to spread the word of the announcement that's going to take place in an hour, and Michiaki and Hiruzen talk.
> 
> Hiruzen enlists the help of Anbu Member Tiger to help Michiaki furnish his new apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, lovelies! I wanted to say a few things before I let you read this chapter (as usual).
> 
> 1) Hinata knew that Naruto was in love with Kurama before he did. She also knew that Kurama was in love with Naruto. She fully supported their love and didn't understand why Naruto married her. Right before she sent him back to the past, Tsunade came clean and Hinata nearly killed the poor woman. Tobirama had to hold her back. Yes, Tobirama survived the fourth shinobi world war- don't ask me how, I don't know how just yet, but he serves an invaluable role in Naruto's time as Hokage, though you might not get to hear a lot about him until Michiaki starts to up open up MUCH more to Kyoshi and Gaara (which means I have to change Michiaki's future nightmare a bit or else explain that is what it was-a nightmare, I'll explain more when we get there).
> 
> 2) I am going with the assumption that Kakashi is 8 years older than Itachi, so the ages will reflect this in later chapters.
> 
> 3) I don't know when the Massacre happened, I just know that Sasuke was 8 when it happened- I'm gonna pretend it happened in August for my sanity's sake. It seems about right, right?
> 
> 4) I was told a bit about the monetary system in Japan by a commenter on the original rough draft of STTC, which I am thankful for! According to them, 100 Ryo= 10 yen= 1 USD. So 15,100 Ryo is worth about 151 dollars if I did my math correctly. And 14,000 Ryo is worth about 140 dollars if I did my math correctly.
> 
> 5) Yes, I know that I just posted Chapter 6, but I couldn't help but be motivated to continue this story. I have so many ideas for this story and I can't wait for you to get to see them! That means that these next few chapters may seem a bit rushed.
> 
> I went ahead and merged the former chapters 4 and 5 to add a bit more and fill more of the chapter up as it was less than 3000 words still. I think that it fits nicely.
> 
> If you enjoy this chapter, please leave a vote and comment!

It was still dark when Michiaki woke up. He saw Itachi getting ready for the day. "What time is it?" Michiaki groaned.

Itachi chuckled, "I see you're not a morning person, huh?" He was rewarded with another groan and he smirked, "If you want to get an apartment today, then get up. I already sent a crow to get Kakashi-san up and moving. It will probably take him a few hours to get up, so I'm going to go to his apartment and give him a rude awakening. It's up to you whether you want to join or not."

Michiaki scoffed, "Damn it, I got your summons wrong." He then gave Itachi a foxy grin, suddenly wide awake, "And miss messing with Kakashi? Count me in!"

Itachi chuckled, "I see that you're still the prankster."

"Yup, I was the 'Number One Unpredictable Orange Hokage!'"

Itachi choked trying not to laugh, "That makes sense for you. Come on, do you have extra clothes or do you need some?"

"I managed to seal one set of clothes before I came here," Michiaki mumbled. "I'll probably have to go shopping for clothes soon. They don't have enough color on them."

While he was talking, Michiaki had unsealed a perfectly folded set of clothes. Itachi turned around so he could have some privacy while changing.

When he turned back around a few moments later, Michiaki was in a white t-shirt with a black flak jacket not yet zipped up and black ANBU pants. He hadn't fixed his wild shoulder-length hair or put on his sandals yet. Itachi watched as Michiaki pulled his hair back in a low ponytail, much like Itachi's hairstyle...only more wild. Michiaki put on his sandals and realized that Itachi was staring at him.

He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck, "I got the idea to pull my hair back like this from you. I had let it be for the most part until you knocked me upside the head and told me to pull it back. I never got to thank you."

Itachi's lips twitched into an almost-smile, "That sounds like you. When did you...become respectful?"

Itachi's smile grew when Michiaki deflated. "One of my closest friends punched me until I understood that I needed to show people respect. My memory started getting better after that."

Itachi found himself choking on another laugh, "Come on, let's go mess with Kakashi."

Michiaki brightened up at the thought of messing with his former Sensei and resisted the urge to cheer as the rest of the house was still asleep. He watched as Itachi wrote a note to Sasuke promising to help him train after he came back from apartment shopping.

Michiaki smiled fondly, "Are you going to keep that promise sometime today?"

Itachi looked up and nodded, "Yes, he deserves to have at least one promise kept before I leave in two years."

Michiaki smiled, "You are going to train him later tonight?" his eyebrow rose when Itachi shook his head, "Before he goes to school?"

With Itachi's non-verbal nod, the two exited the house. Michiaki followed Itachi, well aware that ANBU was watching him. Most likely from the Bear Division, as they usually worked in the protection of their village. If he did anything to harm the village, the Bear Division would be on him like flies on honey.

Kurama scoffed at his analogy and Michiaki grinned, the old fox _hadn't_ denied it.

It took a few minutes to find Kakashi's apartment and Michiaki began giggling in anticipation. Itachi rolled his eyes at the display, but he was nevertheless excited to mess with his captain as well.

They looked around for traps and the Bear Division began to realize what they were doing. Michiaki could feel their amusement as they silently snuck into Kakashi's apartment.

He and Itachi snuck to the kitchen and started arguing, making sure to whisper, about how to mess with the older man. They eventually settled on a harmless prank that would change Kakashi's hair color to pink. To everyone, his hair would be pink, but to him, his hair would be silver. They were going to set it so that after five hours, Kakashi would be able to see why everyone was laughing at him.

"What are you two doing?"

Itachi and Michiaki yelped and jumped apart, startled by Kakashi's gravelly morning voice. "H-hey K-Kakashi-senpai," Itachi stuttered, much to Kakashi's amusement.

"I hope you two weren't trying to prank me?"

Itachi and Michiaki rapidly shook their heads, "N-no we weren't, we were trying to f-find a way to wake you without y-you killing us!" Michiaki stuttered, fully amusing Kakashi, whose eyebrow raised.

"I'm assuming you two are here for apartment shopping?"

Michiaki nodded while Itachi shook his head, "I was only escorting Michiaki here so the Bear Division wouldn't kill him."

In the distance there was the sound of muffled laughter as the Anbu following Michiaki were trying - _and failing_ \- not to laugh at the two younger teens. Michiaki scowled in the direction of the laughter.

"They knew you were up," he muttered.

Itachi took that moment to escape the apartment with Michiaki yelling "No fair!" after him. Michiaki looked back towards Kakashi staring at him with his Sharingan activated and gulped.

He had forgotten about his childish idolization of his former Jonin Sensei. During the fourth Shinobi war that idolization had erupted into a full-blown crush, much to Kurama's amusement.

He had pushed those feelings deep down inside of him and had married Hinata Hyuuga when Tsunade had ordered him to do so. He had loved Hinata as a sister and that had led to some arguments between the two and a near-divorce several times all because Michiaki "didn't love her enough." Michiaki had never told Hinata about the order and had tried to pull his love for Kakashi into the marriage, to make her feel better.

It hadn't worked and she had told him that she hated him before she had sent him back to the past. Michiaki had a feeling that she was lying, but he hadn't said anything, not wanting to spoil the moment for everyone.

She had also said something about him loving a fox, but he assumed that she meant wolf and in a bout of delirium said 'fox.' They had all been low on chakra so she was probably suffering from the early stages of chakra exhaustion.

Michiaki was brought out of his thoughts when Kakashi began walking towards him. Michiaki yelped and instinctively jumped out of his way, assuming the man was going to make breakfast. Michiaki mumbled an excuse about having to use the bathroom and ran off deeper inside the house.

Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows. Michiaki was... acting strange. He had looked to be deep in thought and when the silver-haired man had stepped forwards to get his attention, the younger male had jumped away and dashed off, almost like he was expecting to be hit or hurt because he wasn't paying attention.

Kakashi shook his head and sighed, today was going to be a very long day.

\----

Itachi leaped across the rooftops, his heart pounding. The young teen frowned. He normally didn't have a strong reaction from a scare, even if it was from his captain. He normally didn't _get_ scared.

He frowned deeper, when he realized that he _hadn't_ been scared, he had _known_ that Kakashi was behind them listening to their plan. It had been part of their plan to mess with the time traveler. He had been...excited?

Itachi shook the weird thoughts out of his head and dropped to the ground. It was still very early, but the shop he was going to was open this early.

He wanted to get Sasuke a weapon that he could use while training and he had thought of a sword. He smiled faintly as he remembered Sasuke's love for Swords. Of course, he'd have to get a smaller sword for his younger brother, but hopefully, Sasuke would still love the present.

Itachi entered the shop and nodded in greeting to the owner, who nodded back, "Are you here for yourself?"

Itachi shook his head, "I'm here for my younger brother, who's six. He has shown an interest in swords and I was hoping to get one for him before he goes to school today."

The shop owner nodded thoughtfully. He knew Itachi and thought it was sweet that the young teen was getting his younger brother a present. He led the raven-haired boy to the sword section and waited as the boy looked over the selection.

Itachi's black eyes kept lighting on a pair of Tantos. One of them was silver while the other was black. They both looked to be able to withstand a decent amount of chakra being poured into them.

Itachi walked over to them and carefully picked them up, testing their weight, "How about these? He'd probably be able to use these with little difficulty and they look able to withstand chakra."

The owner nodded, "You are right. Not a lot of people like their look, so they've been collecting dust ever since I got them. The black one can withstand more than the silver one, but they both can indeed hold a lot of chakra."

"How much?" Itachi asked and the shop owner smiled.

"Since they're a present, I'll give you a discount. Those are worth 15,100 Ryo each, but with the discount, they are worth 14,000 Ryo each. I'll also include the saya (Japanese katana scabbard) and cleaning materials for free."

Itachi looked surprised, but then faintly smiled at the older shopkeeper, "Thank you."

Itachi paid for the two swords and the shopkeeper helped to wrap everything up for the teen, much to Itachi's gratitude. Itachi thanked the shopkeeper again before he finally went back home.

The trip had taken an hour at most and it was nearing 7 a.m, the time when Sasuke and his parents started getting up for the day. He wanted to get back before his mother finished making breakfast. Sasuke would have already read the note by then.

Itachi was right by Sasuke already reading the note because the cute six-year-old was waiting impatiently on Itachi's bed when Itachi came back.

Itachi poked Sasuke's forehead, causing the younger boy to pout, "Are you ready, otouto?"

"Hai, Itanii!" Sasuke replied, grinning.

"Ok, but I have something before we begin."

"What is it Itanii?" Sasuke asked, curious.

Itachi chuckled before pulling out the present that he had bought earlier. "These are for you to train with. I remembered you saying that you liked swords, so I wanted to get you a couple before you go to school today."

Sasuke looked at the present with stars in his eyes. He gently took the swords out of Itachi's hands and unwrapped them and the other materials. One was silver while the other was black.

Itachi smiled at Sasuke's adoring expression, "These blades are special since they can withstand chakra being poured into them."

Sasuke was silent for a moment before he hugged Itachi, who wasn't used to the physical contact, "I love them Itanii!"

Itachi smiled faintly, "Do you want to invite Naruto to train with us, or do you want to train alone with me?"

Sasuke thought about it for a second before nodding seriously, "The dobe needs more help so he can tag along if he wants."

Itachi had a hard time controlling his laughter seeing his younger brother look so serious. He sobered up when the thought that the young boy would become even more serious in two years passed his mind. He glanced at Sasuke, who was playing around with his new swords.

Itachi chuckled, "Be careful, Sasuke, those are sharpened swords." He frowned and then hugged the smaller raven, "Don't ever change," he murmured, too quiet for Sasuke to hear.

"Hn? Did you say something Itanii?"

Itachi chuckled, "It's nothing. Come on, breakfast is almost ready."

\----

After Michiaki and Kakashi finished eating their breakfast, which was a silent and tense affair, Kakashi escorted Michiaki to the entrance of the Shinobi Apartments that he lived at. He had heard earlier that week that there was an open apartment that could easily hold three people with room for more. Kakashi glanced at Michiaki, who was fidgeting with his shirt.

Yesterday Michiaki had been so confident and in control that it had been hard _not_ to believe that he had been Hokage and now... Now Michikai was so anxious that it was almost like he had _never_ been in charge before. It was unnerving to see a future Hokage in such a state.

Michiaki ended up getting the apartment room that Kakashi had been thinking of. It was a few doors down from Kakashi's apartment so if the younger teen needed anything, he would be able to go to Kakashi with little difficulty, if he could find the elusive man that is.

After Michiaki finished up paying the deposit, they started walking to the Hokage Tower to get everything ready for the announcement later that day. They met Itachi, who was escorting Naruto and Sasuke, in front of the academy.

Naruto ran up to Michiaki and began telling him about his morning training and how cool Sasuke was with his new swords, much to the younger raven's embarrassment. He also complained about how he had missed Michiaki that morning.

Kakashi chuckled at the scene before him and was reaching for his book when Itachi slapped his wrist, "Not in front of my brother."

Michiaki laughed at Kakashi's disappointed face, but to Kakashi, it seemed _fake_. He should know, he invented fake smiles.

Michiaki crouched down to Naruto's level so the boy wouldn't have to look up to him, "Guess what Naruto-kun?"

"What, what?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"I got an apartment for us! I'm going to go to Hokage-sama to see about adopting you, although he might not agree until after I'm introduced to the village later today."

Naruto grinned and jumped around, happy that he would get out of the bad apartment that he was currently in. He grabbed Sasuke's hand and yelled, "Come on teme, let's go!"

All three men chuckled at the sight and chuckled harder when they heard Sasuke's weak protests.

Michiaki glanced at Itachi and smiled softly, "Ne, Itachi, how are you holding up?"

Itachi blinked in surprise at the sudden question, "I'm doing as fine as I possibly could in this whole situation. How are you doing?"

Michiaki gave a brilliant smile, "I'm great!"

He suddenly turned around and ran to the Hokage tower to fill out the papers and get everything ready sooner. The two Sharingan users watched as he fled off and started walking in the same direction.

Kakashi was silent for a moment, "It would seem like our new friend doesn't like to help himself mentally."

"Hn. Last night he had a brief nightmare. I think Kyuubi, I mean Kurama, helped him out without Michiaki realizing what he did. He didn't mention it when he woke up."

Kakashi nodded, "He doesn't like physical contact. He spaced out a bit after you left and I stepped forward to get his attention and he dashed off to the bathroom. He was also extremely anxious when talking to the apartment complex owner."

Itachi sighed, his eyebrows furrowing.

Kakashi chuckled and rubbed Itachi's forehead, "Careful, Itachi, you might get prominent wrinkles on your forehead and then you will _really_ be odd-looking."

Itachi fumed for a second before looking away from Kakashi, who was smirking underneath his mask. He always enjoyed messing with his younger subordinate, as Itachi's responses were always different. Sometimes he'd pout, sometimes he'd push Kakashi, and sometimes he'd give him the silent treatment. He never yelled at his captain, though.

Itachi was silent before murmuring, "I'm not quite sure how Sasuke is going to take all of this or what to even say to him. Could you....could I keep in touch with you? I mean, could you watch over Sasuke and keep in touch with me?"

Kakashi blinked and then eye-smiled, "Of course, though it might take a while to get to you."

Itachi faintly smiled, "Nonsense, I'll use my crow summons. Your dogs can sniff them out and we'll go from there, though that's still in a couple of years."

Kakashi nodded. They stood in front of the Hokage Tower and looked up at the window that was in the Hokage's office.

"I believe Michiaki needs help adjusting to everything," Itachi blurted out, taking Kakashi by surprise.

Kakashi nodded and they silently walked up to Hiruzen's secretary, who told them that Hiruzen was in the office by himself. They nodded their thanks and went inside Hiruzen's office to see Inochi, Hiruzen, and Michiaki chatting.

"Why don't people ever knock?" Hiruzen questioned, sighing and glaring at the two Anbu in front of him.

Kakashi and Itachi both chuckled nervously, "Your secretary told us you were alone in here, so we went ahead and entered."

Hiruzen sighed, "Now that you're here, then we can get started. I need you three -he pointed to Inoichi, Kakashi, and Itachi- to tell the Shinobi that there's a meeting happening in an hour. Please don't take too long, Kakashi, we need your help."

Kakashi frowned and shifted, "Alright, just this once, though."

Everyone chuckled before Inoichi, Kakashi, and Itachi left.

Michiaki sighed, "I talked to Kurama last night and I managed to get him to change his name. From now on, he's going by Kyoshi."

Hiruzen nodded, "Do you still want to adopt Naru-chan?"

Michiaki nodded, "Yes, though I need help furnishing it."

Hiruzen hummed and signaled for one of the Anbu. A young female, possibly only three years older than Michiaki, with long silky black hair stepped forward. She wore dark grey pants, a dark grey long-sleeved shirt, a dark green flak jacket, and dark blue sandals. Her black hitai-ate was wound around her upper right arm. She wore a tiger mask.

"Hello, Tiger. Could you help furnish Uzumaki Michiaki's apartment and make sure he makes it to the announcement on time?"

Tiger nodded, "Yes sir."


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiaki and Tiger go shopping and furnish his new apartment.
> 
> Michiaki and Tiger pick Naruto up and Michiaki lets Naruto take him to Ichiraku Ramen.
> 
> Michiaki and Naruto go to the announcement.
> 
> Michiaki, Snow Owl, Tiger, Danzo, Hiruzen, and Shikaku talk and Michiaki leaves to train.
> 
> Hiruzen and Shikaku let Snow Owl, Tiger, and Danzo review Michiaki's MHE and PSE.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Lovelies! Last chapter for tonight!
> 
> So, a few things before we get into the next chapter (as usual):
> 
> 1) Yes, this chapter is a bit longer than normal. I wanted to include everything that I felt was necessary before moving on to Michiaki's training and Naruto finally seeing the apartment.
> 
> 2) No, Danzo doesn't know of Michiaki's true identity. The next chapter will explain why.
> 
> 3) No, I will not include the rest of Team Hinoji's reactions to Michiaki's MHE and PSE, as it's not necessary to the overall plot (and I'm pretty sure you guys are tired of seeing his evaluation by this point, lol).
> 
> If you guys enjoy this chapter, please leave a vote and comment!

Michiaki and Tiger slowly walked through the market, getting everything that he needed to make his new apartment home: food, clothes, scrolls, books, and weapons. He couldn't get a lot of stuff since he didn't have a lot of money and Tiger was just there to help him out not buy things for him, but he did manage to get a good amount. 

He promised himself that he'd continue to shop for the essentials as he made money from doing missions. They quickly got two of the rooms ready to be slept in.

It was getting close to early afternoon when Michiaki and Tiger finally finished with the shopping and furnishing and went to go pick up his younger self- er, younger cousin now brother as the academy was releasing the children earlier than normal since every single Shinobi was ordered to attend the announcement.

When he made it to the academy, he saw the other parents and older siblings waiting for their loved ones to get out of the small building. He could feel the curious stares from the other families, as he was a new face, but he ignored them with the practiced patience of someone who was used to glares.

Sasuke was one of the first out of the building. No one was there to pick him up, like usual, and he ran off to train, presumably with the new swords that Naruto had told him about earlier. Michiaki smiled fondly after the young boy, which caught the attention of several parents, who started to glare at him, not liking that a stranger knew about the young Uchiha enough to smile fondly at him.

Naruto was the last one out of the building, along with a raven-haired boy who had his hair pulled up into a high ponytail, almost resembling a pineapple. _Shikamaru_ , _he was most likely sleeping and Naruto stayed behind to wake him up._

Michiaki smiled as Naruto ran up to him, "Naruto-kun, guess what?"

Naruto bounced excitedly, ignoring the Anbu beside him which amused both of them, "What, what?"

"Hokage-sama accepted my offer to adopt you! You're now officially my younger brother!"

Naruto cheered, catching Shikamaru's attention. Michiaki watched as Shikamaru whispered something to his father, Shikaku.

The older raven-haired male began to walk towards the duo and Michiaki tensed slightly, something that Shikaku _didn't_ miss, while Michiaki cursed himself for _flinching_.

"Hello, Michiaki-kun, it’s nice to see you again. My son here was telling me that Naruto-kun has been talking about his new ‘brother’ all morning long. I’m assuming that Hiruzen-sama let you go ahead and adopt him?"

Michiaki smiled softly, the older genius always did get straight to the point. Naruto kept his mouth shut as he had promised, which surprised the older Uzumaki, who didn't think that Naruto would already keep to his "ninja way."

"Yup! Hokage-sama wanted me to tell you that my identity is going to be announced pretty soon."

"Troublesome, though that would explain why Tiger is with you," Shikaku murmured, much to Michiaki's never-ending amusement. "I would like it if you came to play Shoji with me later?"

Even though Shikaku had said the request in a questioning tone, Michiaki knew better than to believe that it was a question. It was an order, a statement if you will.

"My apologies, Nara-san, but I will be unable to play Shoji with you today. I know very little of the game as I've only played it twice and I was cheated against when I did play." Michiaki didn't like Shikaku's disappointed face. He knew that the man would try and get him to play the game, as the man played it as a way to understand an enigma. Michiaki winced at the thought that he was just an interesting specimen to be studied and shook the darker thoughts out of his head before they overtook him or -much worse- Kurama commented on them. "Maybe I will take your offer another day, though I'm afraid you will have to teach me how to properly play."

Shikaku nodded, seemingly placated with Michiaki's answer, and left with his son in tow.

Michiaki watched as the two ravens walked away, an amused smile on his face, which quickly turned into a grimace at the thought that he'd have to play Shoji with the world's most renowned genius. Michiaki shook his head again and looked over to Naruto.

"Come on, Naruto-kun. Do you want to get something to eat before we go to the announcement?"

"Let's go to Ichiraku Ramen!" Naruto yelled and pulled the older Uzumaki towards the small stand. Michiaki watched as Tiger left the duo to their own devices, knowing they knew their way to their ultimate destination. 

Michiaki looked at the stand fondly, the stand had been destroyed during Pein's assault and had never really been rebuilt, much to everyone's disappointment. Michiaki had heard that the old man who had run the stand had been killed during the attack and was too shaken up to continue cooking ramen when he was brought back to life.

"Naruto-kun if this what you only eat, then I'm changing your diet. You're six, right?" Naruto nodded while slurping his favorite ramen, miso chashu pork. Michiaki was pleased that the young boy hadn't yelled dattebayo! at him while his mouth was full. "You are very small for your age, which usually means that you haven't been eating well. Is that true?"

Naruto nodded, slightly sheepish, "Yes, Michi-nii."

Michiaki smiled at the nickname, "Well, from now on your diet is going to include more homemade meals and less ramen, though I will treat you to it as a congratulatory treat."

Naruto tilted his head, "Congratulatory treat?"

Michiaki smiled at the half-formed question, "It's a treat that someone gets when they win something, such as a graduation or when they make a really good score on a test. Or even as a welcome-home gift from a long mission that they succeeded on."

Naruto perked up, "That's a cool idea!"

Michiaki smiled fondly, "Yeah, it is."

After three bowls on Naruto's part and a couple from Michiaki's, the older Uzumaki paid for the early lunch and they made their way to where the announcement was going to be held.

Michiaki watched as Naruto ran around, amazed at the huge space, though the red-head made sure that the younger Uzumaki didn’t annoy any of the Shinobi already there. Michiaki pointed to Itachi, who was sitting near them.

“Remember him?”

Naruto nodded, “Tear duct!”

Michiaki chuckled at the nickname, “Yeah, that’s him. Stay with him for now. I’m going to have to go to a meeting after this and then I need to do some personal stuff before we can go to our apartment, okay? Listen to Tear duct while staying with him, alright?”

Naruto nodded, pouting a little bit and Michiaki chuckled. He waited until Naruto was next to Itachi and talking quietly with him to go to where Hiruzen was waiting. He sat next to him as Hirzuen mentioned him to do and they chuckled at how silent the whole area became as they realized that a foreign shinobi was about to be introduced.

They ignored everyone and talked quietly as they waited for everyone to arrive. The last one to arrive was surprisingly Danzo and not Kakashi, who had been the first one to arrive.

As soon as Danzo was seated, Hiruzen stood motioning for Michiaki to stay seated, “I’m sure that everyone is curious to know who the red-head behind me is.”

Chuckles ran throughout the area.

“The red-head is Uzumaki Michiaki and he is Uzumaki Naruto’s older cousin.” Mumbling was heard throughout the Shinobi forces. “He lived with his mother and father until they died just four years ago. He traveled with mercenaries after their deaths until he found out where Konoha was. The reason he was looking for Konoha is that he found a letter from Uzumaki Kushina stating that Uzumaki Kaina’s family was always welcome to stay in Konoha since Kaina was Kushina’s older sister.”

Hiruzen paused as he let the information sink in.

“Uzumaki Michiaki is the only child of Uzumaki Kaina and Uzumaki Michi, Kaina’s husband. He didn’t know about any of the Shinobi villages until a few weeks ago and as soon as he did, he traveled here to see if the offer still stood.”

Hiruzen’s face grew pensive.

“It was with great grief that I had to inform him of Uzumaki Kushina’s death, though I informed him that Kushina had a son before her untimely death. He was saddened by the news of his aunt’s death but asked to be able to take care of his younger cousin. I told him that he would only be possible if he paused the necessary exams.”

He paused and pointed to Inoichi Yamanaka.

“I had Yamanaka Inoichi look through Uzumaki Michiaki’s mind to make sure that he told the truth before admitting anything and Inoichi can attest that everything I have said and everything Michiaki have said is true.”

The mass of Shinobi let out a collective sigh of relief, which caused Michiaki’s mouth to twitch in amusement.

“Uzumaki passed the exams with flying colors and so I welcome Uzumaki Michiaki as a Chunin under Team Nara Shikaku and Uzumaki Naruto’s guardian.”

With that, Hiruzen signaled for Michiaki to stand up and the red-head did after a second prompting, blushing in embarrassment, causing more chuckles to sound out at the teen’s unfamiliarity at the signals.

Michiaki walked up to the podium and glanced at Hiruzen before the mass, “H-hello, my name Uzumaki Michiaki, a-ano you already know that.”

Everyone chuckled at his nervousness and he relaxed.

“I’m not too sure about what I’m supposed to say after such an introduction, hell I’ve never _had_ an introduction before!”

He could see that everyone was relaxed and he took a deep breath and bowed.

“I’m in your care, Shinobi-san! I hope that I can uphold the ‘will of fire’ Hokage-sama talked about in our first meeting. I also hope that I can help you with keeping this village safe despite being new to all of this.”

Everyone smiled (or an equivalent of smiling) at his short speech and determination.

Danzo, however, eyed the teen warily and made a note to talk to Hiruzen about him.

Hiruzen chuckled, “Thank you, Uzumaki-kun.” He turned his attention to the mass of Shinobi, “I hope you help Michiaki here feel welcome and comfortable in this village. That is all, you are dismissed.”

Hiruzen, Michiaki, Shikaku, Danzo, and the Anbu members left the podium and area.

Michiaki blinked when he saw Danzo in the room with them.

Hiruzen ignored his friend, “Everyone but Shikaku, Team Hinoji, Danzo, and Michiaki leave.”

Everyone obeyed and that left only five people left. Michiaki blinked in surprise when one of the members left was Tiger, who had been showing him around earlier. 

Hiruzen lifted an eyebrow, “Where’s Hawk and Toad?”

The Anbu member with the snow owl mask spoke up, “Hawk and Toad are on a mission right now, Hokage-sama.”

Hiruzen nodded, “Right. Snow Owl, Tiger, please unmask yourselves.”

The two Anbu did as ordered to reveal a young female who looked like she should be an Uchiha and a young Hyuuga, though Michiaki had already known that Hinoji was going to be there.

Hiruzen, Hinoji, Shikaku, and the girl all ignored Danzo, who looked ready to explode with questions. 

“A-ano,” Michiaki whispered and pointed to the annoyed council member.

Hiruzen sighed, “Yes Danzo?”

“Who is he?” Danzo asked without preamble. “Where did he come from?”

“Michiaki?”

“My name is Uzumaki, Uzumaki Michiaki…?”

“Shimura, Shimura Danzo.”

“Nice to meet you, Shimura-san. I’m from the Land of Whirlpools despite its desolation. After my parents died, I traveled with various groups that I later learned were mercenaries.”

“For four years?”

Michiaki nodded, “I was mostly sheltered growing up, though I _was_ taught a little about the way of Shinobi before and after my parent’s deaths.”

Danzo nodded, slightly appeased, “Why is half of Team Hinoji here?”

Shikaku spoke up, “Hinoji has been looking for a Chunin Prodigy to join the team.”

Hinoji glanced at the younger red-head, “Hello, Uzumaki-kun. I remember fighting you yesterday. Are you the one that Nara-san told us about?”

Michiaki tilted his head, “It depends on what he said.”

Hinoji chuckled at his response, “Clever boy.”

Michiaki blushed at the praise, still not used to it, “T-thank you, Hyuuga-san.”

Hinoji chuckled again, “No need to be so formal with me since it seems as if we are going to be teammates soon. Please, call me Hinoji and drop the formality.”

“H-Hinoji-kun?” Michiaki asked, uncertain if it was okay that he called him that.

Hinoji smiled softly at the younger teen. The young female smiled, “My name is Aki Acha! It’s nice to meet you, Uzumaki-kun! Please call me Aki!”

“Aki-chan? Well then, you must call me Michiaki.”

Aki chuckled, “That would get confusing, do you mind if I call you Michi-kun?”

Michiaki shook his head, a small smile on his face at the nickname.

Hiruzen smiled, “Do you want to start on your training tonight, Michi-kun?”

Michiaki smiled softly and nodded, “If you don’t mind?”

Hiruzen shook his head, “Go ahead.”

Michiaki bowed and left the room. As soon as he was out of sight, Hiruzen set up a silencing barrier, “What I say never leaves this room, understood?”

Hinoji, Aki, and Danzo nodded and Hiruzen sighed.

“The first thing I’m allowing you to view is Michiaki’s mental health evaluation.”

Hiruzen waited until everyone was settled and ready before playing the recording.

-

**Mental Health Examination**

Case Subject: Uzumaki Michiaki

Examiner: Yamanaka Inoichi

Observation by: N/A

Location: Torture and Interrogation Building

- _START-_

[00:00:00]

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Alright then, we’ll get started. Please answer all the questions honestly. If we find out that you lied to us, then you can be suspended or even arrested depending on the severity of the situation. Start with your name and birthday, please._

_[Uzumaki smiled]_

**_Uzumaki:_** _My name is Michiaki Uzumaki and my birthday is November 10th. I’m sixteen years old._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _How was your relationship with your family, Michiaki? Was it a two-parent household, were they shinobi…?_

_[Uzumaki frowns and glances around the room]_

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Don't worry, Michiaki, only Hiruzen, Shikaku, Itachi, Kakashi and I will know what you say here unless it concerns your future teammates, then they may know as well._

_[Uzumaki nods]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _Thank you, Yamanaka-san. My parents were shinobi and it was a two-parent household. I… wasn’t that close to them._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Who do you normally hang out with?_

_[Uzumaki frowns]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I don’t have any friends._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _How would you describe yourself?_

_[Uzumaki exhales]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _Um, I don’t know? Stressed?_

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _On a scale of one to ten, how much do you trust others?_

_[Uzumaki tilts his head]_

**_Uzumaki;_ ** _Five? Four?_

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Can you tell me why a sixteen-year-old such as yourself is so untrustworthy?_

_[Uzumaki sighed]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I… was abused as a child by my parents. I grew to be wary of other people but I put up a careless mask to cover up my wariness and make me go unnoticed by others around me._

-

Danzo motioned for Hiruzen to stop the recording, “He was _abused_? By his parents?”

Hiruzen nodded, “Yes. Unfortunately, that’s not everything.”

Danzo sighed and let the man continue the recording.

-

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Do you think you’re sensitive to what others think?_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _Yes, very._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _What about worrying? Do you find that you do that a lot?_

_[Uzumaki tilts his head]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I… don’t think so? I might._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _What about indecisiveness? Do you have a hard time making decisions?_

_[Uzumaki taps the table as he thinks about the question. Tapping seems to Uzumaki’s nervous reaction]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I double guess myself on everything I decide, if that’s what you mean. It’s how I make such good plans._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _It is. How often do you cry, Michiaki?_

_[Uzumaki frowns and shuffles in his seat]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I used to, a lot. But recently, I can’t remember the last time that happened._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _How would you rate your temper on a scale from one to ten?_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _Ten. I can’t stand idiots or bullies and I’m not afraid to show it._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Is your guard ever lowered? I can see that it isn’t right now, but do you ever relax?_

_[Uzumaki sighs]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _No. I don’t like to give someone a chance to hurt me._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _I’ve noticed that you’re distant, more so than most kids your age. Is there a reason for that?_

_[Uzumaki tilts his head, obviously confused]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I thought that all kids my age were distant?_

_[Yamanaka blinks and sets his pen down]_

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _No, they normally aren’t. Kids your age are usually sociable._

_[Uzumaki blinks]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _Nobody has ever [emphasis] wanted [end emphasis] to talk to me and if they did, they only did so to get close enough to me so they could hurt me._

-

Danzo scowled but didn’t interrupt again.

-

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Didn’t you ever report it?_

_[Uzumaki scoffs]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _Who would believe a kid?_

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Moving on, how’s your sleep schedule? How often do you have nightmares if you have any?_

_[Uzumaki grunts]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I have frequent nightmares, possibly five a week? As for sleeping, I get around five to six hours every other day, if I’m lucky._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Have you ever witnessed a traumatic experience?_

_[Uzumaki pauses]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _Yes._

-

Danzo frowned as Hiruzen fast-forwarded the recording, but he assumed that he was skipping unnecessary information.

\- 

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Do you have any thoughts of self-harm or suicide?_

_[Uzumaki frowns]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I-I’ve never thought of self-harm when I was younger, though I did excessively train to get stronger. As for suicide, I don’t think so._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Have you ever attempted self-harm or suicide?_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I-I don’t know._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _What about substance abuse? Do you take more medicine than you should, drink alcohol more than you should, or use any drugs that you shouldn’t?_

_[Uzumaki hums]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I drink alcohol pretty often, though I never really get drunk because of it._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Are you afraid of anything?_

_[Uzumaki closes his eyes]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _U-um, yes?_

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Can you tell me what about?”_

_[Uzumaki shuffles]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _W-well I’m scared of losing my loved ones and of experiencing war._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Those are common fears. Are you afraid of hurting or killing people?_

_[Uzumaki’s eyes shoot open]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _No. Well, only my loved ones, but if I have to hurt or kill someone to protect my loved ones, then I’d do it without guilt._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _You mentioned guilt just now? Do you feel it often?_

_[Uzumaki nods]_

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _Do you hate yourself, then?_

_[Uzumaki tilts his head and looks to the side of the room]_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _I… used to. I’m not sure anymore._

_[Yamanka motions to the mirror in the middle of the table]_

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _When you look in a mirror, who do you see?_

**_Uzumaki:_ ** _A boy who just yearns for acceptance and acknowledgment._

**_Yamanaka:_ ** _This concludes the examination, Michiaki. Thank you for your time._

_[End 00: 27: 58]_

-

Hinoji, Aki, and Danzo were stunned at the information.

“That’s not everything,” Hiruzen warned. “Inoichi’s evaluation is at the bottom of the transcript.”

Hiruzen let each of them read the paragraph that made his blood boil every time he read it.

-

_[Michiaki suffers from severe PTSD. His traumas are experiencing war and being abused his whole childhood. He is distant from everyone not because he wants to but because he doesn’t know that’s not how a teen his age acts. He suffers from survivor’s guilt and mild depression, though if it’s not treated now, it will become a major issue later in life. I feel like Michiaki would benefit from anger management classes and I’ve put him on the suicide watch list just in case. He’s admitted to overworking himself and drinking frequently.]_

-

The paragraph was short but summarized the evaluation perfectly.

“Is that everything?” Danzo asked quietly.

Hiruzen shook his head, “The last thing is his PSE that Hinoji oversaw.”

-

**Physical Skill Examination**

Case Subject: Uzumaki Michiaki

Examiner: Hyuuga Hinoji

Observation by: Sarutobi Hiruzen, Yamanaka Inoichi

Location: Training Ground 3

- _START-_

_Uzumaki Michiaki stares at Hyuuga Hinoji as they wait for the Proctor of the exam to start the fight. Uzumaki Michiaki seems to come to an understanding about the exam as he sends a subtle glare to Sarutobi Hiruzen. Uzumaki Michiaki sighs longsufferingly and has a ‘kill me now’ expression on his face._

_The proctor of the exam grins, “Alright you brats - Uzumaki Naruto’s and Hyuuga Hinoji’s eyebrow twitches- here are the rules of the exam! Both of you are going to_ _fight until either one of you gives in or is unable to continue fighting. The match will end once one of you dies, admits defeat, or cannot physically continue. Of course, it will be better if you’d concede before a fatal outcome. As the proctor, I reserve the right to step in and stop the fight if I feel that there is a clear winner. Do both of you understand the rules?”_

_The proctor glances at Hyuuga Hinoji, who nods, “I understand.”_

_The proctor then glances at Uzumaki Michiaki, who also nods, “I understand as well.”_

_“Alright! Ready? Fight!” The proctor quickly retreats to the observation area where he’d be out of the way._

_Uzumaki Michiaki narrows his eyes and quickly teleports away before the Hyuuga could do anything. Hyuuga Hinoji looks to be having difficulty locating Uzumaki Michiaki._

_Uzumaki Michiaki suddenly comes out of hiding and runs straight towards the Hyuuga, dodging the immediate Gentle Fist counterattack. Uzumaki Michiaki makes sure to not ever get hit._

_-Note-_

_[It would seem as Uzumaki Michiaki is reckless. His Taijutsu Style is also extremely ruthless, focused more on speed and brute strength than anything._

_Uzumaki Michiaki also seems to have previous knowledge about the Hyuugas and their abilities as he makes sure never to get hit.]_

_-End Note-_

_Uzumaki Michiaki let himself be hit, only to dispel in a cloud of smoke. A ball of condensed blue chakra flew through the smoke towards Hyuuga Hinoji, who immediately used the Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation Heaven technique._

_Hyuuga Hinoji stopped spinning, only to fall due to being hit at the top of the spine with a Kunai. Uzumaki Michiaki caught Hyuuga Hinoji with a gentleness that didn’t fit the ruthless Taijutsu style that he was using earlier._

_-Note-_

_[Uzumaki Michiaki knows the_ Shadow Clone Technique _and can utilize it in his fighting, as it is believed that the Uzumaki that fought the Hyuuga was a clone the whole time. It is believed that because he is an Uzumaki, he has a large amount of chakra, which is very common in the Uzumaki Clan._

_Uzumaki Michiaki also knows the_ Rasengan _technique, which shows that he has somewhat good chakra control, which is unusual for the Uzumaki Clan members._

_Uzumaki Michiaki is gentle yet ruthless.]_

_-End Note-_

_-End Exam-_

-

Danzo and Aki’s mouths dropped open at the assessment.

“He’d be a great asset to my team,” Hinoji mused out loud and Hiruzen nodded.

“That’s what Shikaku and I thought.”


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinoji and Aki get brought up to speed with Michiaki's real identity and past.
> 
> Kiyoshi explains about the Fox Summons and Fox Sage Mode before Michiaki signs the scroll and meets Moriko and Gira.
> 
> Michiaki intoudces Gira to Hiruzen, Hinoji, Aki, and Shikaku.
> 
> Michiaki and Naruto go to their apartment FINALLY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! This took longer than necessary for this chapter to get out because the heater on my house almost quit working on us and we had to leave for half a day but here it is!
> 
> This was surprisingly painless to make, as I knew what I wanted to type already.
> 
> A few things before the chapter:
> 
> 1) The next chapter or two will take place during the two years before the Uchiha Massacre. It will be centered on Michiaki's and Naruto's training experiences with little side things like Michiaki getting a custom-made uniform, Itachi talking to his family, and Michiaki meeting the rest of Team Hinoji. I will try and make it as painless as possible to read.
> 
> 2) I made Moriko and Gira on a whim because I realized that I needed to have foxes. Moriko is agender right now. There is one more fox summons. Her name is Akira and she's going to be Michiaki's messenger. You'll meet her later on when she starts to be needed more.
> 
> 3) Yes, the Fox Sage Mode and Fox Summons info comes from Naruto Fanonpedia or whatever it's called and is not canon to the original anime/manga. I liked it so I included bits and pieces of it into this chapter and in Michiaki's abilities (I'm still gathering all his abilities).
> 
> 4) Yes, if asked, Michiaki will take over the Hokage position. Does this mean that it will happen? Haven't decided yet.
> 
> That's it so far, I hope you enjoy this chapter and if you do, leave a vote and comment!

Danzo nodded, “If that’s all, then I’ll leave the fine-tuning to you four.”

Hiruzen nodded and Danzo left the room. Hinoji sighed longsufferingly.

“Why do I feel like that what you’ve revealed to us  _ isn’t _ everything?”

Hiruzen and Shikaku chuckled while the old Hokage double-checked that the privacy seal was still up before turning his attention back to the two leaders of Team Hinoji.

“Michiaki Uzumaki’s real name is Naruto Uzumaki,” Hiruzen started without preamble.

Hinoji blinked at Hiruzen, “W h a t.”

Hiruzen and Shikaku chuckled at the Hyuuga’s reaction.

Aki also blinked, “I thought Naruto was a six-year-old blonde boy?”

Hiruzen nodded, “He is. Michiaki, however, is from the future. Yamanaka Inoichi has seen inside his mind and has confirmed this. To avoid detection, he changed his appearance through Kiyoshi, his Bijuu. He was the Nanadaime Hokage and holds no wish to become Hokage, though if he needs to, I doubt he will say no to the position. He’s going to help Naruto become Hokage. Michiaki wants to become a medic so he can help out in the future war.”

Hinoji nodded slowly, “That’s a lot to take in in a short amount of time.”

Shikaku nodded, “It is. Do you still want him on your team?”

Hinoji glanced at Aki, who shrugged, “I don’t see why not. He’s a valuable asset to have on our team and we’d be fools to turn him down just because of his past.”

Hinoji smiled, “It looks like it’s settled. All Michi-kun needs to do is meet Hanaka and Kazuchi.”

Hiruzen smiled, “It’s settled then. Team Hinoji is officially a five-man cell with four Anbu and a Chunin Prodigy. Michi-kun will be apprenticing under Shikaku and he’s shown an interest in Medical Ninjutsu, so he’d be happy to meet Kazuchi.”

\----

Michiaki ran towards Training Ground Three, where he had completed his PSE just the day before. He quickly made his way to the middle of the training grounds and sat on the ground in a lotus position.

He didn’t know what to expect, so he just started meditating, going into his mindspace easily.

“Hello, Kiyo-san.”

Kiyoshi rolled his eyes at his new nickname,  **“You’re here to learn about the fox summons and the Fox Sage Mode, correct?”**

Michiaki nodded, “Yes.”

Kiyoshi nodded,  **“To start with, I’ll explain the fox summons. They originate in Uzushiogakure and usually, the Uzumaki heir will be able to have the summons, though from Mito and downwards, the offer was declined.”**

Michiaki hummed, “I, or Naruto, would be the next offer, right?”

Kiyoshi smirked,  **“You got it right on the first one. You would be the next offer since you’re older than Naruto** **_and_ ** **the previous Uzumaki Clan Heir.”**

Michiaki grinned at the information and Kiyoshi chuckled fondly.

**“They appear as foxes of different sizes and colors and they possess a different number of tails per summons. Fox chakra is usually an intense blue, though my bloodline has an intense red coloration.”**

“Your bloodline?” Michiaki asked softly.

Kiyoshi nodded,  **“The fox summons are different from Kitsunes since Kitsunes are half-human, half-fox in nature while fox summons is pure foxes. There, however, are fox summons that has a Kitsune ancestry, and as such is a part of my bloodline.”**

Michiaki’s eyes widened at the information. Kiyoshi chuckled again.

**“Fox summons abilities include foxfire, genjutsu, and agileness, and stealth. Foxfire is a stream of pressurized flames that a fox or a Fox Sage can shoot from their mouth. It can also be shot as flame bullets. The last ability using Fox Fire requires the user to transform into a fox. The user can then create several orbs of flame on the ends of their tails, which can be combined to create a giant fireball.”**

Michiaki nodded, “So that would be called  _ Fox Fire, Fox Fire Bullet,  _ and  _ Fox Fire Fireball _ techniques?”

Kiyoshi grinned,  **“That’s exactly what they’re called! They mirror the Uchiha Clan techniques, though they are usually blue and not yellow or red.”**

Michiaki nodded slowly.

**“Each fox varies in size as I mentioned before. The smallest is an average-sized fox while the biggest near my size. Each fox also has a different personality, though most tend to be sly and cunning, regardless of other personality traits. A few are even pranksters as well!”**

Michiaki laughed, “I think that we’d get along well.”

Kiyoshi nodded,  **“That you will. Finally, the more tails a fox, the more respected they are for their power and wisdom. The largest number of tails a fox has, however, is nine. The only exception is the Great Fox Sage. I can’t remember how many tails they can achieve, though I think it’s a hundred? I honestly can’t recall.”**

Michiaki smiled, “That’s fine, Kiyo-san.”

Kiyoshi eyed Michiaki,  **“You have any questions in regards to Fox Summons?”**

Michiaki nodded, “I do. I wonder if a fox with a smaller number of tails would be more agile than one with more tails?”

Kiyoshi barked out a laugh,  **“Only you would think to ask that. Unfortunately, you’d have to talk to the summons themselves about that one. Anything else? Preferably something I** **_can_ ** **answer please.”**

Michiaki chuckled, “That’s it, Kiyo-san. Thank you, though.”

Kiyoshi shook his head in exasperation,  **“Then the next thing you need to learn about is the Fox Sage Mode. It’s achieved in the same way you’d achieve Toad Sage Mode, only you’d have different attributes. Your eyes will turn an intense blue and will have slitted pupils, like a fox. You will also have blue markings around your eyes instead of yellow.”**

Michiaki blinked, “Cool.”

Kiyoshi snorted,  **“You will have similar abilities as in Toad Sage Mode. Your physical strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, and durability will greatly increase, though your speed and reflexes will be the most affected. The power of your Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu will increase dramatically as well with more focus on your Genjutsu. You will also be able to sense chakra around you, like in the Toad Sage Mode.”**

Michiaki nodded, “So the major differences are highlighted by a fox summon’s natural abilities? I remember you just saying that foxes are highly agile and Genjustu is one of their strong points.”

Kiyoshi nodded,  **“Exactly. There are a couple of unique abilities such as being able to summon foxtails, almost like you are calling upon my chakra, though it will be white. You can summon up to nine and they can extend up to twenty meters. They come from your back and can be used for attacking, defending, or wielding items and weapons. The fur of these tails are capable of slicing an opponent easily, so please be careful you idiot.”**

Michiaki stuck his tongue out at the large demon and Kiyoshi shook his head.

**“You can regrow the fur if it’s cut off, as well as the tail itself if it’s destroyed. Any questions?”**

Michiaki hummed, “What would happen if I combined the  _ White Fox Sage Tails _ with the  _ Nine-Tails Chakra Mode _ ?”

Kiyoshi blinked, then tilted his head,  **“I wouldn’t know since it’s never been done before. I would ask the Fox Summons Leader or even the Fox Sage before trying it.”**

Michiaki nodded, “Alright. Though the  _ White Fox Sage Tails _ is a much safer alternative since I’m technically not calling on your chakra to achieve it.”

Kiyoshi nodded,  **“Thus, no one can say that you are a Jinchurriki despite sharing similar abilities.”**

Michiaki nodded, “Anything else that I need to know?”

Kiyoshi nodded,  **“Each fox summoner has a Fox Sage Sensei. They’ll be in charge of your training as well as be your life-long companion. They are immortal and don’t need to ever dispel unless they need to talk to the Fox Summons Leader about something. They don’t take up your chakra after their initial summons, because the Fox Summons Leader summons them. You will bond with them by sharing your blood and chakra so you’ll be as immortal as they are. You’ll only die if they die and they are hard to kill, trust me, I’ve tried.”**

Michiaki snorted, then contemplated what Kiyoshi had just told him, “Will they be chosen to fit my personality?”

Kiyoshi nodded,  **“Yes. Any more questions before I let you sign the summons?”**

Michiaki nodded, “Will I still be able to summon toads after this?”

Kiyoshi hummed,  **“I’m not sure, though I would think so. Sasuke had two summoning contracts, didn’t he?”**

Michiaki nodded, “I’ll have to ask about that, then.”

Kiyoshi nodded before a summoning scroll materialized in front of them. Both Michiaki and Kiyoshi smiled before Michiaki frowned. 

“Wait, what name should I put?”

**“Michiaki Uzumaki, since that is your official name now.”**

Michiaki nodded and proceeded to sign his name on the scroll.

“I’ll exit now.”

Kiyoshi nodded and watched the red-head leave his mindspace, smiling fondly.

-

Michiaki slowly opened his eyes and flew through the summoning ritual, not realizing that the summoning scroll was next to him in real life.

Michiaki watched as a giant white fox with nine tails formed underneath him, “Dang it, every time!”

He heard the fox chuckle and the fox lowered their head so Michiaki could step off.

“Michiaki, it’s nice to finally meet you, it’s been a while since the Uzumaki Clan Heir signed the scroll.”

Michiaki bowed to the fox, “The pleasure is all mine. If I had known, I would’ve signed it much sooner.”

The fox chuckled, “I have no doubts that you would have kept that promise. My name is Moriko, the current leader of the Fox Summons.”

Michiaki titled his head in respect, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Moriko-sama. Do I have to pass a test?”

“Your continued existence is a test in and of itself. That and your bond with  _ him _ . No, I will summon your Sensei.”

Michiaki bowed, “Thank you, Moriko-sama.”

Moriko snorted, but Michiaki could tell that they weren’t exasperated, just amused. It didn’t take long for a white fox that came up to Michiaki’s waist to join them.

Their ears were dipped in crimson, as well as the end of their tails, which there were five.

They tilted their head, “You called, Moriko-sama?”

Moriko snorted again, “Yes. Michiaki-kun, this is Gira. She will be your companion and Sensei.”

Gira turned her head to look at Michiaki with beautiful black eyes. She walked up to him and sniffed him, wagging her tail happily, “You smell like  _ him _ !”

Michiaki chuckled and scratched her head, “That I do. Thank you, Moriko-sama. A-ano, how do we bond?  _ He _ just mentioned that we shared blood and chakra.”

Moriko chuckled, “Cut your palm, Gira will do the same on one of her paws. You’ll shake ‘hands’ for lack of a better term and you’ll push your chakra into your hand as soon as your wounds meet. Don’t worry, your healing won’t kick in until after you push your chakra and even, you’ll gain your very first scar.”

Michiaki smiled gratefully, “Thank you once more, Moriko-sama.”

Moriko’s eyes sparkled with amusement and Michiaki quickly cut into his palm, surprised to see that the wound wasn’t healing. He gently held Gira’s paw in his hand and pushed chakra into his palm, startled to feel foreign yet familiar chakra flow in his veins.

Michiaki watched with wide eyes as his wound healed, leaving a slightly faded scar behind.

_ ‘My first scar! _ ’ Michiaki cheered to Kiyoshi, who watched in amusement. Moriko also watched with fondness in their eyes.

Michiaki was like a wounded kit, curious yet so, so wary.

“I’m assuming that you have a couple of questions for me?” Moriko asked after a couple of moments.

“A-ah. Well, I was wondering for one if a fox with a smaller number of tails would be more agile than one with more tails.”

Moriko snorted, “Yes, they are. Foxes with one or two tails are generally used as messengers while foxes with three or four tails are used for stealth and reconnaissance, while foxes with five or more tails are used for attacking and defense.”

Michiaki nodded, “That makes sense. My second question is… more sensitive. What would happen if I combined the  _ White Fox Sage Tails _ with  _ His _ mode?”

Moriko hummed, “Well, you will retain your whitetails, though it may be harder to make more of them. You will retain your abilities in  _ His _ mode as normal, though it may be harder to keep the mode for long periods. If you want, you can practice in our Summoning Realm so you won’t bother anyone here, though I would tell people where you are going so they don’t freak out.”

Michiaki nodded, “Thank you. My last question may seem odd, but am I still contracted to the Toads?”

Moriko nodded, “Yes, you are. You can use the same abilities as before. Gira will be able to help you separate  _ Fox Sage Mode _ from  _ Toad Sage Mode _ . It will take a lot of practice, but I believe you’ll be able to switch between the two modes and even combine them if needed to.”

Michiaki grinned and bowed, “Thank you, Moriko-sama, for answering my questions and allowing me the honor of being your summoner.”

Moriko smiled, “The pleasure is mine.”

Michiaki and Gira watched as Moriko dispelled themself.

Michiaki glanced at Gira, “Now to convince everyone that you won’t harm anyone.”

Gira chortled at the joke and Michiaki smiled at his companion.

\----

Hiruzen stared at Gira, “Why is there a large fox in my office?”

Michiaki snickered, “It’s a long story. Because I am the Uzumaki Clan Heir, I gain a Fox Sage Sensei and companion. She is immortal, according to Kiyoshi, and so am I. She will teach me how to go into  _ Fox Sage Mode _ as well as be my companion for the rest of my life. We already bonded. It’s an Uzumaki tradition that I never knew about.”

“So… does she dispel?”

Gira shook her head, “I don’t need to, though I can choose to if I wish. I’m here to protect and guide Michiaki-kun and his kit, Naruto. I do not need to eat, as I gain power by being near Michiaki-kun and Naruto-chan or by sleeping. I do  _ not _ absorb their chakra, their chakra boosts mine since they share similar chakra patterns.”

Hiruzen and Hinoji blinked, “I don’t understand.”

Gira snorted, “Since we bonded through blood and chakra, Michiaki-kun’s chakra naturally boosts my abilities without me having to absorb his chakra. The same goes for Naruto-chan’s chakra as they share nearly identical chakra patterns. The longer I stay near them, the stronger my abilities will be. The longer I stay away from them, the weaker I’ll be.”

Aki blinked, “That’s cool! Does your chakra boost Michi-kun’s in any way as well?”

Gira nodded, “Yes, though only if he’s in  _ Fox Sage Mode _ . It’s even more boosted if he’s transformed into a fox himself. I’ll have to talk to him some more about all the abilities, but one of them is if he’s in fox form, we can merge to become a really strong fox.”

Michiaki blinked, “That’s pretty neat! Though, it will probably take a while to get there since I retain the  _ Toad Sage Mode _ as well.”

Gira nodded, “Yes, but I’ll teach you how to draw on the Fox chakra and not the Toad chakra. I believe you’ll grasp it fairly easily. And you already know that we’ll allow you to come to our Summon Realm to practice using the  _ Tailed Beast White Foxtail Mode _ without being targeted in this realm.”

Michiaki nodded while Hiruzen sighed, “What am I going to tell everyone now?”

Michiaki grinned, “Just tell them that pure-blooded Uzumakis have a long-standing contract deal with the Fox Summons and that Gira, my Sensei, is my Fox Companion because of it. She was a bit shy at first, but now she’s confident. I’m going to trust that the Anbu following me have enough discretion  _ not _ to repeat what transpired on Training Ground Three this afternoon.”

Michiaki eyed the invisible Anbu, who started to sweat at the Chunin’s Killing Intent. Hinoji, Aki, and Shikaku had to stifle laughs at his obvious threat while Hiruzen and Gira gave him proud smiles.

\----

Michiaki and Gira watched as Naruto ran around their new apartment, amazed at the bigger space. Michiaki himself had been amazed when he had finally got a bigger apartment after the Fourth Shinobi World War so he didn't scold his younger cousin for his excitement. 

Gira made her way to Michiaki’s room and laid down for a nap, both Michiaki and Kiyoshi snickering at her behavior in her new home.

"Hey, Naruto-kun, I'll show you your room...or one of the rooms that you can pick to stay in." 

Michiaki walked towards the room opposite the one that Naruto was peeking in and opened the door.

The room was average-sized and held a queen-sized bed, medium-sized dresser, a small study table, and a chair. The walls were painted a royal blue, Michiaki's favorite color. There was a door that led to a walk-in closet that had a floor-length mirror on the inside of the door and a door that led to a small bathroom that held a toilet, a sink, and a small shower.

Naruto's eyes looked like they'd fall out, the young boy was so impressed. Michiaki stifled the urge to chuckle as the boy put down his bag on the bed and looked around, seemingly forgetting that another person was in the room.

Michiaki left Naruto to settle and walked to his room, which was farther down in the hall. The door opposite Naruto's was meant to be Sasuke's room if the boy wanted to move in after the massacre in a couple of years.

It took two full minutes for Naruto to barge into his room, which looked a lot like his own, and hug the living daylights out of Michiaki.

"Thank you, Michi-nii!"

Michiaki just chuckled and hugged Naruto back, "This is nothing, I am your cousin and I want you to have a good life."

In the next few hours, Michiaki helped Naruto with his homework as he began making a traditional meal. He started the rice first, then the vegetable soup. He had a hard time deciding on whether to make a salad as well or just cook the fish. He eventually decided to just do both. 

He chuckled, knowing that Naruto would whine about the number of vegetables in the meal.

Michiaki was right about Naruto whining about the vegetables, but the blonde had surprised the red-head again because he had eaten it without too much complaining, other than the initial whining of course.

Naruto had immediately gone to bed after he had put his dishes in the sink. Michiaki had allowed the rudish behavior, he would deal with it tomorrow.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiaki gets a costume change (lol) and gives Kakashi a lecture on rudeness.
> 
> Michiaki meets the rest of Team Hinoji, who in turn meet Naruto and Gira for the first time.
> 
> Michiaki training (focused on what he learns from Kazuchi) followed by Naruto training.
> 
> Itachi talks to the non-supporters.
> 
> A look into two years later.
> 
> Sasuke is brought to stay with Michiaki since his family is in the hospital and Itachi is missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! I'm sorry that it took a while to get this chapter out, I just had trouble concentrating (and I wanted to wait until I had a fanart of Michiaki completed).
> 
> Alright! Before we begin, I wanted to say a thing or a few, as usual.
> 
> 1) The next chapter picks up the former chapter nine! I shouldn't have to add too much to the next few chapters, so I'm almost done with the rewrites with this story ^-^
> 
> 2) This chapter jumps a little bit, but it covers everything that I want it to, so forgive me for the timeskips T^T
> 
> 3) I'm making Shisui three years older than Itachi (no one knows how much older Shisui is, general conses makes him in between 1 and 9 years older so there's leeway in fanfiction)
> 
> 4) I don't mention it right now, but Izumi and Itachi are betrothed, just like in canon. I will explain their relationship in a later chapter.
> 
> -

The next day was a school day for Naruto so Michiaki made sure to get the blonde-haired boy up on time. Naruto grumbled about having to get up early but otherwise didn’t make a huge fuss about it.

_ “Is he scared that I’ll hurt him or yell at him if he whines about anything I do?” _ Michiaki asked Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi hummed,  **_“I think that’s it’s more along the lines of you’ll leave him if he whines too much.”_ **

Michiaki hummed mentally and knelt before Naruto, who was startled by the sudden action, “Hey Naruto-kun, I won’t be mad if you don’t like something. Or if you voice your displeasure about something. Sure, I’ll tell you that some things are good for you, but I won’t be mad with you for it. I want to know what you like and don’t like and I can’t know that if you don’t tell me, yanno?”

Naruto hesitated for a moment before smiling brightly, “T-thanks Michi-nii!”

The blonde glanced at the clock.

“I’M GOING TO BE LATE, IRUKA-SENSEI IS GOING TO KILL ME!!!!”

Both Michiaki and Kiyoshi chuckled at Naruto’s antics, though Naruto could only hear the red-head. He blushed in embarrassment and grabbed the bento that Michiaki had made for him.

“I’ll tell you if I like it!” Naruto called as he ran out of his new home, dodging the chuckles of the older shinobi (mainly Kakashi) who had heard his outburst.

Kakashi walked into Michiaki’s apartment to see the red-head shaking his head fondly.

“Brings back memories?”

Michiaki nodded with a soft smile on his lips, “I used to be late for training all the time. I exasperated everyone until I got it into my thick skull that being late is ruder than not showing up at all.”

Kakashi tilted his head, “How so?”

Michiaki smiled, “Well, when you don’t ever show up when people expect you to, then you leave the people who are waiting for you hanging. Which is rude, right?”

Kakashi nodded and Michiaki plowed on.

“When you’re late you force the other people to wait for you until  _ you _ decide it’s time to show up. That’s downright disrespectful. You aren’t taking into account the other people’s feelings when you do that.”

Kakashi stared thoughtfully at the red-head, who continued talking.

“If you’re going to be late or missing, make sure that the other people waiting for you know ahead of time, which makes it less rude. And if you need an excuse, pick something simple and believable like not hearing your alarm or having to attend a last-minute meeting with someone important.”

Kakashi nodded slowly, allowing the time traveler to speak freely, smiling when he realized that the red-haired teen didn’t realize that he was rambling at this point.

“Also, the more you are on time, the more you will be trusted and seen as a reliable person, someone they can rely on to help them when they’re in trouble. If you’re chronically late, then people will lose faith in your abilities to help them if they’re in trouble. That is unless you  _ want _ to be seen as unreliable and untrustworthy for a dramatic flair.”

Michiaki’s eyes widened and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “S-sorry, didn’t mean to lecture you.”

Kakashi chuckled softly, “I don’t mind, I needed to hear that.” He paused, “I’ll think about what you’ve said.”

Michiaki grinned, “That’s all I ask.”

Kakashi nodded, “What are your plans for today?”

“Hm? Oh! I wanted to take Hiru-jiji’s offer to get a custom made outfit made for me!”

Kakashi chuckled, “I know just the place.”

\----

An hour later, Michiaki had the outfit that he wanted. It looked similar to what he was originally wearing, but it had more color.

He wore a short-sleeved black button-up shirt. The buttons were crimson. He wore black shorts with white bandages covering the rest of his thighs. He paired it off with grey sandals and black fingerless gloves, with white bandages covering his right forearm.

He unsealed his black choker and the necklace that Tsunade had gifted him with -or the replacement to it since he had destroyed the original. His choker had black strips hanging down from it, each having a silver button at the end. It was more aesthetic than anything as it had no real purpose other than to cover his neck and add some extra flavor to his outfit.

Kiyoshi always laughed when he saw the choker, joking that Michiaki looked like a domesticized fox with his “collar” on.

Michiaki rolled his eyes mentally when he heard the usual joke and mentally smirked.

_ “If I am the fox, who is my owner?” _ Michiaki teased.

**_“Me,”_ ** Kiyoshi replied, smirking at the teen, who blushed.

_ “Whatever,” _ Michiaki grumbled, disappointed that his teasing had backfired so badly. He left his mindspace, still pouting.

He vaguely heard Kiyoshi’s teasing laughter and a small blush formed on his face.

Kakashi eyed the teen with a skeptical eye, wondering what could have made him blush when he caught sight of a black and red long-sleeved cloak.

“That would look nice with your outfit,” Kakashi mused softly.

Michiaki looked to where the silver-haired was pointing and smiled, “Do you think it will look good with the vest?”

Kakashi tilted his head, “I think so? The vest would go under it most likely. You’d probably only have to wear the cloak when it’s snowing or raining.”

Michiaki nodded, “Very well, then it’s a good investment.”

Kakashi sighed quietly at Michiaki’s wording, though he couldn’t  _ blame _ the former Hokage. You couldn’t exactly stop thinking that way just because you’re no longer in such a position anymore.

\----

It was evening when Team Hinoji found themselves meeting Michiaki and Naruto, Hinoji and Aki smiling fondly at the similar yet different duo. They had an idea  _ why _ Michiaki wasn’t as happy and carefree as his younger counterpart.

Everyone but the duo was surprised to see the white fox beside Michiaki, who was trying to play with the blonde-haired boy. She was failing since Naruto was more interested in the strangers in his new home, which amused Kiyoshi, especially when Gira pouted.

Michiaki saw the second female of the team and froze,  _ “She looks just like Madara! Could she be a descendant of his?” _

**_“I don’t know, kit. I can’t remember if Madara had any children.”_ **

Michiaki relaxed and smiled at the female who had black eyes and a wild mane of black hair, as untamed as the male who made Michiaki’s world a living hell for a few months.

The only difference between the two was that the female’s eyes held a warmth in them that made Michiaki want to relax in her presence, though he didn’t. How could he call himself a ninja if he relaxed with the first person who made him feel safe?

Maybe that was wrong, but neither Michiaki nor Kiyoshi cared enough to fix his thought process.

The female smiled back, “Hello, my name is Hanaka Akami. I… have the Sharingan even though I’m not a part of the Uchiha clan for some reason. My parents are looking into their lineages to find out why I developed them.”

Michiaki’s eyes widened and he bowed to the female, “Michiaki Uzumaki. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Hanaka’s eyes widened, “You don’t…?”

Michiaki smiled sadly, “I don’t mind that you have the Sharingan as long as you don’t me or my loved ones.”

Hanaka straightened, “I would never hurt my comrades!”

Michiaki grinned, “Then I hold nothing against you.”

Hanaka returned his grin.

**_“That was kind of you, kit.”_ **

_ “Why would I be mean to her, Yoshi? She has done nothing to harm me or Naru-chan.” _

Kiyoshi sighed at the new nickname, though he found himself smiling softly at Michiaki,  **_“Is this going to be a new trend, Aki-chan?”_ **

Michiaki’s eye twitched,  _ “Never call me that ever again.” _

Kiyoshi laughed at his kit’s annoyance and the red-head brought his attention back to Team Hinoji, his eyes flickering to the last member. He was an albino and the tallest (and strongest if his body was any indication) of the group.

The male returned his searching gaze with one of his own, “My name is Kazuchi Naemi. I’m the medic of the group. I hear that you want to learn about Medical Ninjutsu yourself?”

Michiaki nodded, “Yes if you wouldn’t mind teaching me.”

Kazuchi gave the younger teen an appraising look, “Of course I wouldn’t mind, since you’re so polite.” The man’s eyes flickered to the blonde-haired boy behind Michiaki and he knelt to his level, “Hello! My name is Kazuchi, what’s yours?”

Naruto shrunk behind Michiaki, who put a comforting hand on the blonde’s head, “Don’t be scared, otouto, they won’t harm you, I promise!”

Naruto stared at Michiaki, who smiled encouragingly before finally turning his attention back to the albino before him.

When he spoke, his voice was soft and quiet, so different than it usually was, “N-Naruto Uzumaki, d-dattebayo!”

Kazuchi smiled at the boy, “Nice to meet you, Naru-chan!”

Naruto blushed at the nickname that only a handful of people used for him. He stared at the man a little while longer before blurting out, “You look like the second great stone face guy!”

Everyone chuckled at Naruto’s outburst and Naruto’s blush deepened.

“S-sorry.”

Kazuchi grinned as he got his chuckles under control, “Don’t worry about it, Naru-chan, I get that a lot. We were just surprised by the suddenness of your outburst.”

Naruto grinned shyly and ran off to his room, shutting his door quickly, hearing the chuckling of the older teens behind him as he did so.

Kazuchi stood up, “Are you free tomorrow?”

Michiaki hummed, “I should be.”

Aki glanced at the fox, “Who is this?”

Gira grinned, “Hello! My name is Gira, Michiaki’s Sensei and companion!”

Kazuchi blinked, “I guess that we’re going to have to talk to Shikaku-sensei about who gets him on which days so we don’t wear the kid out.”

Michiaki pouted when Gira nodded enthusiastically, “We can do that whenever you want!”

Kazuchi nodded, “How about now? I know that he’s still working right now.”

Gira chirped and shrunk, jumping onto Kazuchi’s shoulders, “Do you mind if I stay up here so the villagers don’t try to hurt me?”

Kazuchi chuckled, “Not at all. Let’s get going!”

\----

Whoever said learning Medical Ninjutsu was easy was a  _ liar _ . And probably not a medic.

Kiyoshi chuckled at Michiaki’s discomfort and the red-head childishly stuck his tongue out at the Bijuu. He had been learning from Kazuchi for about three months now and he was no closer to healing the damn fish than he did when he had begun.

Of course, he had immense trouble with chakra control, but that had been expected since he was an Uzumaki and Jinchuuriki, though no one knew the second part.

Kazuchi was very patient and never got upset when Michiaki failed to do something, saying that he knew that he was an Uzumaki and that they naturally had large chakra reserves, making it more difficult to control.

The albino also praised his dedication for wanting to be a medic in the first place, which never failed to make Michiaki  _ warm _ .

-

Naruto loved training with Sasuke and Itachi, though Itachi mainly focused on Sasuke. He didn’t mind, since they  _ were _ brothers. It was only natural that they would focus on each other more than him.

Though he was grateful whenever Sasuke would pay attention to him and give him pointers here and there.

To say that he was surprised when he continued that behavior at the academy was an understatement. He had thought that the raven-haired boy would ignore him like everyone else except his brother and Michiaki.

Naruto also loved it when Michiaki took time every month to train him. It wasn’t much or as often as Naruto would’ve liked, but it was  _ time _ , time spent with his new older brother.

Naruto understood that Michiaki had to go on missions with his awesome team. At first, he was scared that he would be left alone, but that was quickly proven wrong when Michiaki started asking Kakashi to watch over him when the older red-head was gone.

Whenever Kakashi wasn’t available, Naruto was able to sleep over at Sasuke’s and Itachi’s place. That’s how he met their older cousin, Shisui, who was as handsome as Itachi.

He also loved it when Michiaki didn’t sugar coat things like Iruka did. Sure, it scared him and sure, he liked what Iruka taught, but it was a refreshing change from the people who treated him like a child.

He  _ was _ , but he wasn’t like other children and only a handful of people understood that -Jiji not included- though he didn’t blame the old man.

Who would when their parental figure just wanted to protect them?

And besides, all the help he was getting was leading to him getting more praise from Iruka, who Naruto viewed as his first older brother, though the man could be a bit scary and mean at times.

\----

Itachi stared at the three people in front of him and gulped silently since all three of them had their Sharingan activated.

“M-mother, Izumi-chan, Shisui, could you deactivate your eyes? I’m not a threat,” Itachi asked quietly, mentally weeping in relief when they did as he asked.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, “Mother, Izumi-chan, Shisui, I have to tell you something that  _ must not _ leave this room, understood?”

The three people in question glanced at each other before glancing back at Itachi and nodding.

Itachi took another deep breath.

“Hokage-sama has received an anonymous letter stating that my father is planning a Coup D’etat. Hokage-sama ordered me to watch father and see if what the letter said was true and, unfortunately, I heard him talking to some other clan members the other day that confirmed what the letter said.”

Mikoto’s and Shisui’s eyes widened at the information and Izumi looked down.

“I-I heard my father mention something like that as well, but I was too scared to say anything.”

Itachi smiled softly at the kind girl. He had known that she wouldn’t want anything to do with the Coup.

“Hokage-sama wants me to gather all the non-supporters.”

Shisui tilted his head, “Why?”

Itachi closed his eyes, “Hokage-sama, Nara-san, Yamanaka-san, Kakashi-san and I think that the only way to protect Konoha is if we...or I kill the whole clan either as a massacre or as a mass public execution.”

Mikoto’s and Izumi’s eyes widened at the information, “B-but that would make you-”

“A criminal…” Shisui whispered, his eyes sad.

Itachi nodded, “Yes, but I’m willing to go through that. Besides, Hokage-sama and Inoichi-sama will work together to help me be able to come back to Konoha in the far future. Shikaku-sama and Kakashi-san are also going to help out as well. There is a criminal organization that they want me to infiltrate and I could use the massacre as an excuse to join it as long as I pretend that I don’t care that I killed everyone responsible.”

Shisui watched his younger cousin as he agreed to carry the burden of his clan’s sins so he could help Konoha have a better future, “I’ll help as well! I’ll act as a witness.”

“Me too,” Mikoto agreed.

Izumi smiled, “You don’t deserve to be vilified, Itachi-kun.”

Tears gathered in the corner of Itachi’s eyes, “Thank you.”

\----

The rest of the two years passed in a blur. Between training, missions, and helping organize the massacre with Itachi, Izumi, Shisui, Mikoto, Shikaku, Inoichi, Kakashi, and Hiruzen, Michiaki was kept busy.

At the end of the first year, he had gained good enough chakra control to finally heal the damn fish, though he still had a long way to go at that point.

Now, he was on par with a nurse medic at the hospital, which surprised both Kazuchi and Michiaki.

He had yet to start working at the hospital, but he knew that it wasn’t too far off.

\----

It was midnight when Michiaki heard someone banging on his front door. He groaned and got up, noticing Naruto peeking out of his door as he passed his room. He grimaced at the memory of angry mobs trying to break down his door when he was Naruto’s age.

He opened the door to see Anbu Tiger carrying a terrified Sasuke.

"Lord Third asked me to bring Sasuke Uchiha to you. He wants you to house Sasuke Uchiha for now since Mikoto-san, Izumi-chan, and Shisui-kun are all in the hospital right now and Itachi-kun is missing."

Michiaki bowed to Tiger, gently taking the frightened boy from the Anbu. He didn’t fail to notice how Sasuke flinched at Itachi’s name, he just hoped that it was because he had seen Itachi kill someone and not because the teen had hurt the boy.

"Thank you, Tiger-san. Please tell Hokage-sama that I will do my best to help Sasuke-kun out, but may I ask why he wants  _ me _ to house Sasuke-kun?"

"He believes that Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun are close friends and since you are housing Naruto-kun, you will also house Sasuke-kun."

Michiaki nodded and looked down at the boy in his arms, "Hey, Sasuke-kun. You're going to live with me for a little while until your mother can take care of you. I have a room that you can stay in, but if Naruto wants, you can sleep with Naru-chan?"

Sasuke didn't respond to the question, he just pointed towards Naruto and Michiaki walked over to the blonde, "Hey Naru-chan, could Sasuke-kun sleep with you tonight?"

Naruto nodded, "Of course, dattebayo!"

They heard Sasuke weakly chuckle at Naruto's verbal tick and nickname. 

“ Usuratonkachi, ” Sasuke whispered and Michiaki chuckled as Naruto mock pouted at the affectionate nickname.

“I’m not an idiot, teme!”

Michiaki clicked his tongue, “Don’t call Sasuke-kun a bastard, Naru-chan. It’s rude.”

Naruto pouted for real this time and both Michiaki and Kiyoshi chuckled at their antics.

_ “They’re really like brothers, huh.” _

Michiaki gently laid Sasuke down on the bed, "If you guys need anything, I'm just a couple of doors down in the hall."

He watched as the two boys cuddled each other and chuckled, predicting the yelling that would take place when they woke up.


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke drags Michiaki to Inoichi and forces him to finally go to therapy.
> 
> The genin tests and Team Introductions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! Neanai here with the next chapter! This is longer than I originally thought it was (I apologized in the former chapter 7 for this chapter being short, lol)
> 
> Here are a few things that I changed about this chapter:
> 
> 1) Sasuke is not a time traveler. In the original rough draft, there was only one time-traveler and that was Michiaki (with Kiyoshi).
> 
> 2) I changed a few dialogues to correctly represent Naruto's and Sasuke's speech. I changed Sasuke to be less a time traveler and more a child prodigy, like his older brother. Naruto and Sakura are also prodigies so all three of them fit together well in this team.
> 
> 3) This wasn't something that I changed, per se, but Naruto learns more than the Shadow Clone Jutsu from the Forbidden Scroll. He also learns something that I'm naming the Phoneix Storm Jutsu. The Phoneix Storm Jutsu is basically a high-level fire chakra technique that's similar to Sasuke's Kirin Lighting Release Jutsu. I'm thinking of letting Sasuke use the Phoneix Storm Jutsu and the Chidori as base points for Kirin. I'll explain the second jutsu later (I'm thinking of either adding it to the bell test or the Land of Waves bullshit 2.0). 
> 
> Edit: I had forgotten to add Gira to the original chapter, how could I have forgotten such a cutie???? I'll also be editing Chapter 12 so look out for it.
> 
> I believe that's everything! If you like this chapter, don't forget to leave a vote and comment!

Sasuke was admitted to T&I right after the massacre and was given the opportunity to talk about what he saw and about his brother without panicking that someone might leave him. Inoichi was pushing for Michiaki to also start his therapy, but Michiaki always managed to slip away before he could be ordered to do anything by either Inoichi or Hiruzen.

A month after the massacre, Sasuke had enough of both Michiaki's stubbornness and Inoichi's vagueness and marched his friend's older brother to Hiruzen. It helped that Sasuke wanted to learn more about _why_ the massacre had to happen in the first place.

Hiruzen and Inoichi were surprised when Sasuke dragged Michiaki into the small office and demanded the taller male to go to Inoichi for help. It didn't help that Shikaku was there as well, trying to keep his snickers to himself. Sasuke's glare, however, told him that he wasn't doing that great.

It wasn't every day that a Jonin got dragged in by an Academy Student.

The older men couldn't help but feel sorry for Michiaki when he just dropped his head down and finally admitted defeat. The time traveler followed the older blonde out of the tower dejectedly, Inoichi telling him not to worry too much about therapy. He wouldn't force him to talk about anything that he wasn't ready to talk about, which ade Michiaki perk up a bit.

Now if only they could do the same with Kakashi, then everything would be perfect, but the silver-haired man was just as slippery as Michiaki.

It was silent until Hiruzen finally asked the young Uchiha why he came into his tower so determined.

"I want to know why Itachi-nii _had_ to kill my whole clan except for a select few," Sasuke said in a quiet voice. "I asked kaasan and she told me to go to you."

Hiruzen sighed, he didn't know how this would go down and he silently prayed that Sasuke wouldn't take the information too badly.

"Your clan was planning to overthrow me by staging a Coup d'etat. You, Itachi, Shisui, Mikoto, and Izumi were the only five innocent of the whole affair. Everyone involved felt the only option left was to let Itachi kill off everyone responsible which only left you five, unfortunately."

Sasuke hesitated before tilting his head, "But why Itachi-nii?"

Shikaku was impressed by the rationality that Sasuke was displaying. His whole clan was killed except for himself, his mother, older cousin, his brother, and his brother's fiance.

Hiruzen only sighed again, "Itachi was the only one capable of killing your clan members efficiently, though Shisui was of great help. Also, there is an organization that we believe to be potentially dangerous in the future. Only S-ranked criminals are allowed in. After the massacre, Itachi came to me and asked to be viewed as an S-ranked criminal so he could join."

Sasuke nodded his head thoughtfully, "That makes sense, though I wish Ita-nii didn't have to go through that."

Hiruzen sighed in relief and Shikaku narrowed his eyes at the too-old boy. The thought that the massacre and therapy had made the boy more rational and thoughtful briefly passed through his head and he relaxed slightly, though he promised himself to keep an eye on the young Uchiha.

"Oh and Lord Third?" Sasuke asked, grabbing Hiruzen's attention again. "I promise to get stronger to protect my family better."

Hiruzen smiled as Sasuke left the tower.

 ***Timeskip** **Four Years Later (Sasuke and Naruto are now 12 and Michiaki is now an Anbu member)***

Naruto sighed in relief, it was finally time to drop his idiotic act. He fist-bumped Sasuke, who rolled his eyes at his younger brother's antics.

After the massacre, Michiaki helped look after Sasuke as much as he could and that resulted in Sasuke becoming closer with Naruto because of it, to the point they called themselves brothers despite the lack of shared parents.

Sasuke frowned, he felt like Naruto was more of a friend than a brother, though Naruto insisted that they were brothers. Sasuke let the slightly younger blonde do as he wished.

"Are cha ready to become a genin?" Naruto softly asked. Sasuke smiled at the question. He loved the way Naruto spoke, it was adorable and always had been.

Also, nearly six years of training with Michiaki had made Naruto quiet -but not shy- and intelligent. Shikamaru was the only other one who knew of Naruto's true personality.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, smirking mentally. He knew that his one-syllable answer always got the younger boy riled up, no matter if he was quiet or loud.

"Oi, cha know how to speak, dattebayo!"

Sasuke chuckled, "Yeah, but it's fun hearing your dattebayo."

Naruto blushed slightly at the subtle tease, "D-do cha want to walk to the academy together or do that tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, otouto."

Naruto grinned and ran off to the academy. Michiaki watched the interaction and finally understood what that tease meant.

He facepalmed, "I'm an idiot, 'ttebayo!"

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at the redhead's antics and gulped as Michiaki gave him a mischievous grin, "Oi, you have to get going, loverboy."

Sasuke blushed, "I-I-"

Michiaki's grin got wider, "You can't tell me that you don't have a big~ whole~ crush~ on Na~ru~to~"

Sasuke's blush deepened and he ran out of the house, Michiaki's teasing laughter chasing him.

Sasuke made it to the academy before Naruto, who most likely ran into Kakashi. Kakashi was often around the two-man family to help out whenever Michiaki had therapy. He didn't exactly train them, just watched them and made sure that they didn't overdo their training.

Sasuke laid his head down on his table, copying a certain Nara behind him. A few minutes later, Naruto ran into the classroom. He looked over everyone before sitting beside Shikamaru and laid his head down as well.

Everyone was surprised by Naruto's sudden quiet nature, but Iruka walked in before they could ask anything. Sasuke snickered at their reactions when Naruto got near-perfect scores on not only the written exams but the taijutsu exams.

Sakura and Ino screamed about Naruto cheating and he surprised everyone by just blinking at them and replying with, "Why would I cheat when it's too easy for me? I'm not the idiot that I made myself to be. Ninjas should be able to look underneath the underneath."

Naruto walked off into the academy with Sasuke and Shikamaru following him like lost puppies, which Naruto chuckled at. He wasn't an idiot, he knew that Sasuke had a crush on him, he just wanted the young Uchiha to tell him himself.

Shikamaru followed him because Naruto could beat the young Nara in Shoji without even trying. He didn't know if he had a crush on him or not, though, since he still had difficulty reading Naras.

Naruto was a bit nervous about the Ninjutsu exam but didn't show it outwardly. Sasuke and Shikamaru didn't say anything, though they sat by the blonde and Naruto smiled at their silent support, although that ended when they were called for their exams.

Mizuki called Naruto's name last and gave Naruto a grin that spelled trouble for the intelligent blonde. Naruto walked into the room nervously. Iruka smiled at the younger Uzumaki, he had grown to view him as a son despite him carrying Kyuubi inside him.

"Ok, Naruto, make the clone Jutsu, please."

Naruto gulped. On a good day, he could perform the Jutsu efficiently half of the time. The other half, well, his clones died almost immediately. Naruto took the time to feel his chakra and noticed a small chakra blocker. He tried to bypass it only to fail.

"Oi! Cha blocked my chakra, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled, pointing a finger at Mizuki with narrowed eyes.

Iruka frowned at Naruto, "Naruto, Mizuki-kun would never do anything like that! I'm failing you because you can't do something as simple as a clone Jutsu and for trying to blame someone else for your failure."

Mizuki hid his smirk, "Come on, Iruka, he tried his best. Besides, he got perfect scores on everything else."

Iruka shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I can't pass him."

Naruto bowed his head and left the building. Sasuke frowned as he saw Naruto on the swing, depressed. He heard what the parents were saying about the blonde and his frown turned into a scowl.

_"Can't they see that Naruto isn't like that? That he's a sweet, and kind, and caring soul? That he can't hold hate anywhere in his heart?"_

Mizuki walked up to Naruto before Sasuke could and teleported them to the roof of the academy, "Don't be too mad at Iruka, he just wants the best for you."

Naruto nodded mutely and looked over the village, still depressed that he failed the Genin Exams for the third time. He had wanted to make his big brother proud, but he had failed, _again_.

"There _is_ something you could do to become a genin, an extra-credit test if you will..."

\----

"Is it true that there is an extra-credit test for the genin exams, Jiji?" Naruto asked, causing Inochi, Shikaku, Sasuke, and Michiaki to be startled. Michiaki cursed himself for being forgetful.

Hiruzen chuckled, " _So that's how he became a genin."_

Inoichi and Shikaku watched Michiaki and chuckled when they saw his dejected look.

"Who told you that, Naruto-kun?" Hiruzen asked after he quit laughing at Michiaki.

"Mizuki-sensei. He said that I had to learn at least one Justu from the forbidden scroll, but to do that I have to steal the scroll, right?"

Hiruzen regarded the pre-genin, "Do what Mizuki asks and, if necessary, subdue him. I know that your stealth is close to high chunin levels, maybe even higher than that so let's make this a game. If you can steal the scroll within the next day and learn at least one Jutsu as well as learn why Mizuki wants the scroll, I will allow you to be a genin."

Naruto's eyes sparkled with the idea of a game that might end up with him becoming a genin, "Hai, Jiji! I'll win for sure, dattebayo!"

\----

Naruto looked at Iruka with tears falling from his eyes. Iruka had taken the brunt of Mizuki's attacks and was bleeding heavily.

Iruka signaled for the blonde to come closer to him and Naruto complied, "Close your eyes, Naruto."

Naruto obeyed and felt Iruka tie something around his head and he cried harder.

He heard Iruka sit back, "Open your eyes, Naruto."

Naruto opened his eyes to see Iruka without his scratched forehead protector and he rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand.

Iruka smiled softly, "I'm sorry for not believing you earlier today. I should have since you always tell the truth even if you do pull pranks occasionally. I have decided that you have passed the Genin Exams. Congratulations Naruto, you're a Genin now!"

Naruto cried even harder, relieved at finally hearing Iruka say those words.

He and Iruka passed out soon after, Iruka from blood loss and Naruto from exhaustion.

The blonde had spent nearly two hours training not one but _two_ jutsus, mastering both of them in a short amount of time, then using a lot of chakra to create nearly a thousand shadow clones, then he had cried. He was exhausted both mentally and physically.

Right before Naruto passed out, he heard, "You've done well, otouto. It's time for you to meet someone I've only heard about in passing. He's going to give you a hard time, though he does mean well."

_"Michiaki? Someone who'll give me a hard time? Does he mean Kurama?"_

\----

Naruto woke up in the familiar sewers. He was just thankful that it didn't smell.

He chuckled at the thought and stood up, looking at the large cage in front of him that housed one of his best friends, "Heya, Kurama!"

Kurama growled, **"What you did was idiotic, brat!"**

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, "Gomen Kurama. I'm still learning how to control my chakra and overdid it a bit."

Kurama narrowed his eyes, **"A little bit?** "

Naruto held his arms up in a placating manner, "Ok! Ok! A lot! I just didn't want him to hurt Iruka-sensei!" Kurama scoffed and moved his head away from the nervous blonde, "Ano, Kurama-san?"

Kurama immediately looked back at the young Uzumaki. Naruto never used honorifics unless he was serious about something, **"Is something wrong, brat?"**

Naruto shook his head, "It's nothing _wrong_ , per se, but I wanted to ask you something. Have you ever met Michiaki-niisan before?"

Kurama tilted his head, **"Michiaki... no, I haven't."**

"Then how does he know you?"

Kurama regarded the blonde for a moment, **"He probably knows** ** _about_** **me."**

Naruto tilted his head, "If he knows about you, then why is he kind to me?"

Kurama rolled his eyes, **"He's an Uzumaki, right?"** At Naruto's nod, Kurama continued, **"Uzumaki's are taught that it is a privilege to host me and usually only people of the royal bloodline gets to host me. He must know this and thus could care less about you hosting me, he probably thinks that it is an honor to help you."**

Naruto grinned, tears slipping out the corner of his eyes.

\----

The next day, Naruto and Sasuke entered the academy together to everyone's surprise, and confusion, since they had always acted like rivals. Ino and Sakura ran into the room yelling about getting to sit next to the raven-haired Uchiha like usual, causing the brothers in everything but blood to roll their eyes.

Naruto got slightly jealous of the attention that Sasuke always got without even trying and jumped on top of the desk in front of Sasuke to glare in the Uchiha's eyes.

"Why do you always get all the attention, teme?"

Sasuke smirked, "Maybe because I look better than you, dobe."

Naruto rolled his eyes and was about to sit back down in his seat when he felt someone bump into him and he lost his balance. He squeezed his eyes shut as he fell forward and he felt as his lips hit something soft. He opened his eyes in shock and saw that he was kissing Sasuke.

They broke it almost immediately and pretended that they hated it, trying to get Sasuke's fangirls to not hurt Naruto. Naruto spun around and saw that it had been Kiba who had pushed him.

"Look before you stand, baka!" Naruto yelled, embarrassed that his first kiss had been a complete accident.

Naruto turned to see Sasuke's fangirls were preparing to punch him, "H-hey, it w-was an accident! K-Kiba pushed me s-so you should p-punch him f-for being an i-idiot!" Naruto stuttered, trying to appease the obsessive girls.

Hiruzen and the other Jonins chuckled as they saw the accidental kiss between the Uchiha and Uzumaki.

Michiaki was failing from outright laughing from the hilarious situation that his younger brothers had gotten themselves caught into, Shisui in a similar state.

\----

"Team 7: Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno. Your Senseis are Kakashi Hatake and Michiaki Uzumaki. Team 8: Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyuuga. Your sensei is Kurenai Yuhi. Team 9 is still in rotation from last year. Team 10 is Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi. Your sensei is Asuma Sarutobi. Congratulations on making it this far, keep pushing forwards as you blaze your paths."

Collective groans and cheers were heard around the room.

Naruto and Sasuke smirked as they knew of Kakashi's lazy and chronically late demeanor, though they _had_ to admit that it had been getting better recently. When allowed to leave for lunch, the two left for Ichiraku's, Sakura following them, curious about why they looked so close. 

"Ano, why are you and Naruto close?" Sakura asked Sasuke, who ignored the pink-haired fangirl.

Naruto smiled, "My older cousin, Michiaki Uzumaki, officially adopted me as his younger brother around six years ago. Sasuke and I lived together for a few weeks after the massacre before Sasuke's mother got better." Sasuke briefly tensed at the mention of the massacre, but Naruto continued speaking with only a slight narrowing of his eyes. "Michi-nii helps watch Sasuke a lot so we got closer because of it. Besides, we understand each other."

"That makes sense," Sakura conceded.

They walked in silence before she spoke up again, causing both of them to freeze, "Ano, do you two like each other more than brothers? I will understand if you do since I don't like Sasuke."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and blushed, looking away quickly.

Naruto spoke up first, "Ano, I haven't thought about it before."

"Hn," Sasuke agreed and Sakura laughed at their obliviousness. It was clear that they liked each other.

"I'm sorry about punching you earlier, Naruto-kun."

Naruto waved her apology away, "It didn't hurt, the villagers give a harder punch, no pun intended."

Naruto ordered his food as Sakura stared at the blonde, amazed that he could wave getting hurt off so casually. She saw Sasuke stare at the blonde with a softer look in his eyes, almost akin to _love_ and she made it her mission to help them get together. She giggled at the idea of the two finally kissing and cuddling like they wanted to.

It took the trio an hour to make it back to the academy, where they found an annoyed Michiaki and a sleepy Gira. Naruto cheered as he caught sight of his older brother and Michiaki's face softened as he saw the trio. It seemed like this team 7 would be closer than the previous one.

"Hello, you must be Sakura-chan," Michiaki said to Sakura. She nodded and Michiaki grinned, "My name is Michiaki Uzumaki. I'm one of your Senseis."

Sakura grinned back, "Nice to meet you!"

"Same here."

Sakura glanced at Gira, "Who is this?"

Gira chirped, "My name is Gira! I'm Michiaki's Sensei and companion!"

Sakura grinned, "Nice to meet you, Gira-chan!"

They fell into silence as the four waited for the last person to arrive. Sakura heard Michiaki muttering about knowing that he should've dragged the silver-haired man there. Suddenly Michiaki got a glint in his eye, "Hey, Naru-chan. How about we leave a surprise for our dear friend?"

Sakura gulped and Sasuke smirked when Naruto gained the same glint. She watched as Michiaki tied a Jutsu that would change Kakashi's hair bright pink to a chalkboard eraser that Naruto found and Naruto placed the eraser in between the door and the wall, Gira chuckling during the whole process.

"Hey, will he fall for it, he _is_ a Jonin after all," Sakura reminded them, secretly liking the prank idea.

Michiaki looked Sakura in the eyes, "Never try to pretend that you're someone that you aren't. It's not worth it. If you like something or someone, then show it. It's ok to like something non-traditional."

Sakura looked at Michiaki with wide green eyes before grinning, "Hai, Michiaki-sensei!"

A minute later, Kakashi fell for the prank and everyone nearly died of laughter -Sasuke just silently laughing- when they saw the silver-haired man with bright pink hair.

"You should've come sooner!" Michiaki yelled out in between giggles when the older male glared at him.

"My first impression of you... is that you are a bunch of brats. Meet me and Michiaki-kun on the roof in five minutes."

Kakashi, Michikai, and Gira disappeared in a poof of smoke as "Heys!" resounded through the nearly empty room.

Five minutes later, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto sat across their two Senseis.

"Alright, we are going to introduce ourselves so we can get to know each other."

"Why don't you go first, sensei?" Sakura asked, causing Sasuke to smirk, though he quickly hid it by folding his hands in front of his face.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake. I have a lot of likes and dislikes. My hobbies... well, you are too young for that. My dream? I haven't thought about that."

"You just told us your name!" Sakura yelled, pointing at the smug Jonin.

Michiaki tried to diffuse the tension by introducing himself, "My name is Michiaki Uzumaki. My likes include my friends and family. I don't have many dislikes, thought a major one is people who can't differentiate between a kunai and it's scroll. My hobbies are training and going on missions as well as spending time with my family. My dream is to become the best medic or at least a really good one."

Sakura grinned at the red-head, who grinned back at the pink-haired girl.

Gira popped up, her tail wagging happily, "All of you already know me, but I'm Gira, Michiaki's Sensei. I like good pranks and training Michiaki. I don't have any dislikes, hobbies, or goals."

Kakashi sighed, "You're up bubblegum."

Sakura scowled at the nickname. She thought for a second before taking Michiaki's advice, "Ano, my name is Sakura Haruno. My likes include pulling pranks, Ino, my family, and my friends. My dislikes are people who hurt my friends or my crush. My hobbies include learning and training, although I don't have great chakra reserves so I can't put what I've learned into practice. My dream... I don't have a dream other than telling my crush I like them." She glanced at Michiaki, "Also, being a medic sound... interesting, could I ask about that later?"

Michiaki nodded, a secret smile on his lips.

Kakashi looked at the pink-haired fangirl in surprise. He hadn't been expecting such a response from the girl rumored to be infatuated with the youngest Uchiha.

He shook his head, "You're next sunshine," he said, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke lifted his eyebrow at the nickname, "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. My likes include Naruto, Ita-nii, Michi-nii, and tomatoes. My dislikes include traitors and people who can't differentiate between a kunai and its scroll. My hobbies include training and spending time with my family. My goal is to become strong enough to protect my family and friends."

Kakashi looked like he was fighting a heart attack while Michiaki smirked at the young Uchiha, who scowled at the older Uzumaki.

Kakashi was learning the hard way that he really _shouldn't_ be surprised by his new genin team.

When he regained his composure, he looked at the last genin-to-be, "You're next, shortie."

All three almost-genins glared at their silver-haired Sensei and the lazy man brought his hands up in a placating gesture, "Ma, ma, blondie."

Naruto scoffed, it was better than being called _shortie_ , "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. My likes include pulling pranks, ramen, Sasuke, and Michi-nii. My dislikes include people who can't differentiate between a kunai and its scroll and loud people. My hobbies include learning, training, and spending time with my family. My goal is to become the next Hokage, dattebayo!"

Kakashi sighed, at least Naruto's introduction had been _somewhat_ predictable.


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last part of the Genin Team and the first part of the Land of the Waves Bullshit 2.0.
> 
> ^-^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! Neanai here with the newest chapter ^-^ Sorry it's slightly shorter than normal, I didn't want to smash two chapters together again.
> 
> I changed a couple of things in this chapter.
> 
> 1) I changed Naruto's speech patterns, like before.
> 
> 2) I made the Genin Test slightly longer than before, as well as the fight with the Demon Brothers -well technically I just described the fight with the Demon brothers better while lengthening the fight with Kakashi.
> 
> 3) I added a bit more to the in-between moments.
> 
> (I love the Call-out-on-bullshit squad, but I'm looking for a new name for it, please help me out T^T)
> 
> If you enjoy this chapter, please leave a vote and comment!

"Alright, since the introductions are out of the way, met me and Michiaki at training ground 7 at 07:00 tomorrow for a survival training exercise."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all frowned at his words while Michiaki schooled his expression into something less childish, which was hard for the young adult. Gira just laid her head on Michiaki's lap, earning her a few pats.

"Ano, is this another part of the genin test?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

To her, it was the most obvious conclusion that she could come up with. Michiaki shot her an appraising look, which she missed looking at Kakashi.

Kakashi watched Sakura with an unreadable expression in his visible eye, "Care to elaborate for the other two?"

Sakura thought she heard another question, _Now how did you get to that conclusion?_

"W-well, I remember hearing about how there are only nine rookie genins, basically three genin teams that pass the genin exams each year. No more but it's usually less. I'm assuming this next 'survival exercise' is to whittle down the extra academy students."

Kakashi nodded, " _So this is why she's the top Kunoichi."_

"Sakura is correct. Only 33 percent pass this test." Kakashi lazily stood up, preparing to leave, "Oh, and don't eat breakfast, you'll throw up."

On that cue, Michiaki and Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto looked at each other, "What do you say about meeting up around 07:00 at Ichiraku for breakfast?" Naruto asked.

Sakura nodded, "Everyone knows that you can't fight on an empty stomach."

Sasuke huffed, "And we all know how late Kakashi-sensei can be if today was any indication."

"Ano, what do cha think the test is going to be about?" Naruto asked, thinking hard.

Sakura spoke up hesitantly, put off by Naruto's speech. She wasn't used to how he spoke, not hearing it before.

"Teamwork. It will most likely be to see if we can work together as a team. If we can't, we fail."

Sasuke nodded, "That makes sense."

Naruto grinned, "So we combine our signature moves or the moves that we are best at to win. But the thing is, we don't know _what_ the test is about."

Sasuke smirked, "We don't have to, all we need to do is show that we can work together no matter the situation."

Sakura frowned, "I don't have a signature move that I'm particularly good at."

Sasuke regarded his female teammate for a moment, "I could teach you Shurikenjutsu and how to completely hide your chakra. Naruto could teach you how to move stealthily and not get caught, even with the brightest clothes on. We could also try and teach you some low-level Ninjutsu techniques."

Sakura's eyes widened, "You would do that for me?"

Sasuke smiled, "Of course, you're my teammate now. I hope that we can be friends, and within time, even be brother and sister."

Sakura felt tears well up in her eyes and rubbed at them furiously, "T-thanks, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun."

Naruto grinned, "It's no problem Sakura-chan! I don't have a signature move, but I do have a couple of great moves, although I've only used one so far. One is the Kage no Bunshin or Shadow Clone the second is the Phoenix Storm Jutsu. We can use those to help out. I need to train some more with the Phoenix Storm Jutsu as it can hurt anyone and everyone if I'm not careful. I am also great with stealth and Taijutsu."

Sasuke nodded appreciatively, "I don't have a signature move yet myself, but I know the Great Fireball Jutsu, Shurikenjutsu, and how to completely hide your chakra."

\----

Naruto and Sasuke leaned against a nearby tree, dozing off, Naruto's head on Sasuke's shoulder. Michiaki, Gira, and Sakura were trying their hardest to not wake them up, but they were failing to keep their fangirling to themselves. Naruto and Sasuke had trained late into the night with Sakura, who was used to staying up late to read and study.

Michiaki calmed down slightly and smiled as he remembered meeting the prospective genins at Ichiraku. All three had been exhausted from the night before, which the red-head had chuckled at and offered to watch over them as they napped.

Sasuke and Naruto had gone to sleep immediately but Sakura had declined the offer, stating that it would be good practice for missions where she'd have to watch the camp for a few hours at night.

Michiaki had shaken his head good-naturedly and told her that it was only for a _few_ hours where she'd have to watch the camp, not the whole damn night.

That's when they noticed Sasuke and Naruto sleeping on each other under the tree and forgot their earlier argument.

-

It was two hours after their agreed meetup time when Kakashi finally showed up.

"You're late!" Sakura screeched, forgetting about Naruto and Sasuke sleeping. The two found themselves blinking at the sight of a pink-haired girl pointing at their older sensei, yelling at the top of her lungs. "You said 07:00, not 09:00! Ugh, to think I could've used this time to _train_ or _nap_ but NO I needed to save my energy and be alert for an unknown task!"

Michiaki was surprised at her outburst, not used to the girl _wanting_ to train.

"Maa, maa, I got lost on the road of life."

"Bullshit! You were probably lazing around doing nothing or, Kami forbid, reading porn! You made a promise and I expect you to keep it!"

Kakashi just eye-smiled at the irate girl, she _wasn't_ _wrong_ and it made the late Jonin nervous. Gira grinned at the pink-haired girl's attitude, already liking her.

He held up two bells and jingled them together, stopping the female from yelling at him again, "We are going to perform something called the bell test. You have until noon to get the bells from me."

Sakura tilted her head at the two bells and glanced at the two boys behind her, who looked amused at her confusion, and then back at her Sensei, "Why are there only two bells if there's three of us? A Genin Team is made up of _three_ Genins, not _two_."

Kakashi chuckled, "Whoever doesn't get a bell will be tied to a post and be sent back to the academy. They will also have to watch me eat lunch in front of them."

Sakura nearly paled, "That's why you didn't want us to eat."

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye when he didn't hear the teen's stomachs growling, "Did you eat breakfast?"

Naruto grinned, "Yup! Cha can't fight on an empty stomach, dattebayo!"

Michiaki hid a grin as Kakashi's eye narrowed even more, "Did all three of you disobey?"

Sasuke hummed while Sakura blushed and looked away from the silver-haired man, who looked amused at Sakura's embarrassment.

"To get a bell, you will have to come at me with the intent to kill."

Michiaki spoke for the first time that day, "That's why I'm here. I'm a medic, so I'll be able to heal anyone who gets hurt. I won't be fighting you three myself, so you will be able to focus on fighting Kakashi-senpai."

Gira perked up, "I'm just here to observe how you three react to these types of situations. Any questions?"

The three pre-genins shook their heads and Kakashi yelled, "Start!"

The three teens scattered to the trees surrounding the small clearing before silently searching for each other. It took at most a minute before all three pre-genins were sharing the same tree and talking in low whispers.

\----

Kakashi hid his surprise when all three chakra signatures disappeared completely. Michiaki smirked in Kakashi's direction, knowing that the man was surprised. After a few tense moments of waiting, Naruto and Sasuke dropped down in front of Kakashi, watching the older man's every movement.

The blonde went through the motions of making shadow clones, only making six, though both Michiaki and Kakashi felt that he could do more if he wanted to.

The seven blondes ran straight at Kakashi while Sasuke ran up to Michiaki and Gira.

"Sorry Michiaki, Gira, I have to make sure that Kakashi can't get any help," Sasuke apologized softly as he tied the medic and fox up.

"You do know that I can get out of this easily, right?" Michiaki informed and was surprised to see Sasuke nod.

"I know. We know that this is a mock survival exercise and we wanted to 'mock tie you up.' Besides, I'm not the greatest at making knots. If I had let the dobe or Sakura make it, they would've accidentally made it too hard for you to escape if you needed to."

Michiaki nodded, "That's great thinking, though next time we do this, make sure that we're _actually_ tied up, okay?"

Sasuke nodded and jumped down to join the blonde, and they both began to weave the hand signs for the Great Fireball Jutsu. Kakashi's eyes widened at the sight.

_"How do they know this Jutsu? It isn't a Genin level!"_

Kakashi substituted with a log before the fire could hit him, landing in a tree nearby. Sakura was hiding a few feet away from where the silver-haired Jonin landed, coincidentally.

She silently crept forward until she was an arms-length away from the older man and slowly raised an arm to his waist, careful to keep in his blind spot. She grabbed both of the bells and quickly dropped to the ground, running towards her male teammates before Kakashi could react.

The pink-haired girl gave each of them a bell, Naruto grinning and complimenting her while Sasuke smirked and nodded his thanks.

Kakashi blinked at the team and then eye-smiled, "You...." He trailed off, creating tension.

"Pass!"

All three now-genins sighed in relief and Michiaki chuckled.

\----

"Team 7?"

Kakashi stepped forward, "They passed. In fact, if they weren't inexperienced I'd recommend that they go ahead and take the Chunin Exams."

Hiruzen blinked then nodded, "Team 8?"

\----

"Let us take a more difficult mission, Jiji! These chores are boring!" Naruto yelled a few months later, annoyed at the thought of having to do something underneath his level.

Before Iruka could yell at Naruto for being disrespectful, Hiruzen asked, "Do you think your genins are ready, Kakashi?"

Kakashi glanced at his genins.

Naruto had an annoyed look on his face from having to do low-level missions when he could possibly pass C-ranked missions with flying colors. His stealth and Taijutsu were on par with high-level Chunins and he learned Ninjutsus quickly. He had three aces up his sleeve that he had completely mastered, all from the help of his cousin, Michiaki.

Sakura was looking at Sasuke, who was also annoyed. To be honest, Sasuke always looked annoyed at something, though that wasn't Kakashi's problem at the moment. Sasuke would also probably pass C-ranked missions with flying colors. His Shurikenjutsu, Taijutsu, and Kenjutsu were on par with mid-level Chunins and he also learned Ninjutsus quickly. He had two aces up his sleeve, though he had only mastered one of them with the help of Itachi before he disappeared.

Sakura was the only one who didn't mind the lower-level missions since she was the only one that wasn't at least mid-level Chunin level. She used the low-level missions as an excuse to prolong her training. She would only have slight difficulty passing a C-ranked mission. Her stealth was on par with Naruto's, though her Taijutsu was on par with a low-level Chunin. She had amazing chakra control but terrible chakra reserves, something Michiaki helped her out with as much as possible. She also was currently training to become a medic underneath Michiaki and Kazuchi.

"They only lack experience, as I've said before. I feel like they should take a low-level C-rank mission to see if they are ready to take a higher level yet."

Hiruzen nodded, "Do you think your genins are ready, Michiaki?"

Michiaki tilted his head, "Their teamwork is nearly perfect. All three have at least low-level Chunin-level skills or above, so a low-level C-rank mission should be easy for them."

Gira grinned, "I agree with Michiaki's and Kakashi's assessments."

Hiruzen nodded, "Alright. I have an escort mission for you then. You'll be escorting a bridge-builder back to the Land of Waves and guard him against thugs and thieves. The expected length of time is around two weeks but pack for longer just in case."

Iruka stood up to yell something and Hiruzen glared at the Academy Teacher and silently dared him to go against his orders. Iruka heard the silent order to _shut up_ and wisely sat back down in his seat, although he was still angry that Hiruzen would send Rookies out on a C-rank mission, even if all three were prodigies.

The three genins nodded and Hiruzen called for Tazuna to enter. An older male who was clearly drunk stumbled into the small room. Michiaki and Sasuke noted Naruto's small flinch and glanced at Hiruzen, who had also seen the flinch.

"What's this? These are the ninja protecting me? They're a bunch of kids! Is the short one even a ninja?"

Naruto knew who he was talking about right away and lept to punch him, Michiaki catching him before he even left the floor. Michiaki turned his head to see that Kakashi was holding back Sakura while Sasuke was ignoring the drunken man.

After the two genins had calmed down, Kakashi spoke up, "First off, Naruto and Sakura, you don't harm your clients no matter how rude they are. If you are in a position where you don't know if the citizen or Shinobi is your client, ignore the person like Sasuke did."

Naruto and Sakura bowed and apologized to Tazuna, who was shocked at their maturity, though he could tell that they were still angry about what he had said earlier.

Kakashi continued after Tazuna had forgiven the two hyperactive genins, "Second, Tazuna, you don't need to worry. My partner here and I are Jonin. My partner, Michiaki, is also a medic-nin, so he can heal you if you get hurt, though we will work to make sure you don't get hurt in the first place."

\----

Michiaki managed to drag Kakashi to the gate at the specified time one hour after they had left the Hokage Tower.

Michiaki and Sasuke had both packed enough clothes and food for a month, Naruto and Sakura had both packed enough for three weeks, and Kakashi had packed enough for two weeks. Gira was a fox and didn't need to pack. They had more than enough food for this whole mission, which would help Tazuna and his family.

Tazuna had smiled when Sasuke teased Kakashi for being early while Naruto and Sakura whispered something to each other. Whatever they said to each other made the both of them blush and turn their heads away for a few seconds before grinning and giving each other a thumb up. They either liked each other or were talking about asking their crushes out if they did well in the mission.

Sakura and Naruto took each side of Tazuna and talked with him, to distract the nervous man. Sasuke and Michiaki were in front, talking every once in a while. Kakashi and Gira stayed in the back, watching over everyone.

It was around noon when everyone saw the puddle. Without questioning anything, both Sasuke and Naruto dropped behind Tazuna, in front of Kakashi. Michiaki, Gira, and Sakura stayed in their original positions.

As soon as Kakashi passed the puddle, chains wrapped around Kakashi, and the man exploded. Tazuna cried out in shock, not expecting that to happen. Everyone else knew that the man was okay and kept quiet.

After letting their enemy boast about 'killing' Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke lept into action. The blonde and raven duo worked together perfectly in a quick, yet intense Taijutsu and Kenjutsu fight that ended with the Demon Brothers -the ninjas who had decided it was a good idea to attack Team 7- knocked out.

The fight lasted less than three minutes.

Michiaki nodded in appreciation, they were already showing that they were more than ready for a C-ranked mission, though he _was_ surprised that Naruto could fight with a sword so smoothly. He recalled all the times Naruto trained with Sasuke and Itachi before the latter disappeared and his surprise vanished. He would be _more_ surprised if Naruto _couldn't_ fight with a sword if Itachi had trained him.

Now, if only the rest of the bullshit mission could go smoothly, though for some reason Michiaki felt that was asking too much from Kami.

"Kakashi, come out," Sakura called and the silver-haired man dropped down from the tree that he had landed in.

The duo turned to the drunk man, who was already sweating.

After the first time Sakura had called her older Sensei out on his bullshit, they made a call-out-on-bullshit team, and now was no different.

"Would you like to tell us why ninja is targeting you?" Sakura asked sweetly while Kakashi glared at the man.

Tazuna sighed and bowed his head, "Do you know Gato?"

"The shipping magnate?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.

Tazuna nodded, "Yes, but he is so much more. He's corrupt. He takes out all his competitors to make sure he's on top." Tazuna paused to add a dramatic flair to his story, causing everyone to subtly roll their eyes at the added drama, "He's imposed a tax on my village and controls the water so we can't ask for help. I'm hoping that by making this bridge, we can overthrow him and get money into the village again."

Kakashi's eye narrowed, "You lied about the skill-level of this mission. That is a serious crime. If we get hurt, you could be imprisoned."

Tazuna fell to his knees and Naruto's eyebrows rose as he begged, "Please keep helping me! I didn't have enough money to ask for a higher mission. None of us do, even the Daimyo doesn't!"

Kakashi ignored the man as he turned to his team, "What do you think, team? Should we keep helping this man out or should we wait for Hokage-sama's instructions after he hears about our B-ranked, possibly A-ranked mission?"


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the Land of Waves Bullshit 2.0 (please don't kill me T^T)
> 
> Danzo makes an offer!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! Here's the next chapter.
> 
> Welp, we're finishing the Land of Waves Bullshit 2.0 once again.
> 
> Things I have changed in this chapter.
> 
> 1) I added Gira and Kiyoshi to the battle, though the battle is only briefly described.
> 
> 2) I made Sasuke more his age.
> 
> 3) I added a bit more description to everyone going back to Konoha.
> 
> 4) I changed Naruto's and Kurama's talks to reflect their attitudes and speech patterns better.
> 
> If you like this chapter, please leave a vote and comment!

Naruto was silent before he glanced at Kakashi, "We should continue the mission. It would take too long to get the report to Hiruzen and back, even if we were to use your fastest nin dog. I say we wait until we get Tazuna's house to contact Jiji."

Sakura nodded, "I agree with Naruto. This mission is most likely out of our level but I don't want to send this idiot to his early grave."

Tazuna sweatdropped when she said that and Sasuke hummed, "I agree with Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun. It wouldn't be fair to Tazuna or his family if we left him to his own devices."

Kakashi nodded then turned to Michiaki, "What do you think?"

Michiaki regarded the nervous genin, though Sasuke would never admit to being nervous, "What I said earlier is true. They have perfect teamwork with each other. Sasuke and Naruto know me so well that we work together perfectly. Same as me and you, Kakashi-senpai. Sakura, unfortunately, only knows about her two teammate's abilities. I have been teaching Sakura the basics of medical ninjutsu so she can help in that area."

Kakashi nodded and then turned a glare to Tazuna, who flinched, "It would seem as my Genin and partner are confident that we can protect you. I  _ will _ be reporting to Hiruzen-sama about this. We  _ will _ be completing this mission either way, although you  _ will be held responsible _ if any of us get harmed beyond both Michiaki's and Sakura's ability to heal us."

Tazuna nodded his head rapidly, "I understand! I just thank you five for being kind enough to help me out!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed, "Don't you even dare exploit that, you hear me?"

Tazuna gulped and sprung to his feet, "W- we're close to the boat that'll take us to the village."

\----

Michiaki and Kakashi both chuckled at the genin's awe at the large bridge.

"It's so huge!" Sakura whispered and Tazuna sighed in relief. Her eyebrow twitched, she knew when to be quiet.

Michiaki chuckled again, "Can you imagine it when it's completed?"

Sakura’s, Sasuke’s, and Naruto's eyes were like saucers as they stared at Michiaki. Kakashi chuckled fondly at the four idiots.

Not too long after that, they were on land again and quickly leaving the ferryman behind.

\----

Naruto, of all people, wasn't surprised to see Zabuza. Considering that he was a sensor nin, then it shouldn't have surprised everyone when he turned to face the opposite way that they came from and narrowed his eyes. 

"What are  _ you _ doing here?"

A chuckle came from high up in the trees as a man in a cow print outfit came into view. Sasuke, Kakashi, and Michiaki got into defensive stances, preparing for anything. Sakura just stared at the man in confusion.

Naruto glanced at his team and clicked his tongue, "There won't be any need for that, you idiots."

Zabuza chuckled, "It's been a long time, Naru-chan."

Michiakai blinked, " _ That's _ where you went for a whole year?"

Naruto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. 

"I tried doing the Kawarimi no Jutsu and overshot a few hundred miles," he explained to his confused team.

Michiaki shook his head, chuckling, "Why didn't you come back sooner?"

"I was sick, which confused both me and my friend." 

Naruto glanced at Sasuke and Sakura before glancing back at his older cousin, "Haku helped bring me back to health and we found out that I had undergone chakra poisoning without overusing my chakra. Talking about Haku, where is he?"

Zabuza was about to speak when a small teen shot out of a tree near him and tackled Naruto to the ground, "NARU-CHAN!"

Naruto giggled, "Hello Haku-kun, how have you and Zabuza been?"

Haku grinned, a false Anbu mask resting on his head, "Good! We don't have anywhere to go, though."

"Is that why you're taking a small assassination mission?"

Haku pouted, "Wouldn't you?"

Naruto snickered, "Are you sure you guys don't want to take Jiji's offer of safety and housing?"

Zabuza's eyes widened and then narrowed, "What's the catch?"

Naruto grinned wickedly, "Well,  _ Moo-Moo-chan _ , you have to become a Jonin for at least a year and help teach any team of genins that Jiji sends your way. Haku-kun can either become a genin or chunin. If he's a genin, he'll be put under you. If he's a chunin, then he'll help teach at the academy. He could even become a medic if he wanted to."

Zabuza scowled at the childish nickname Naruto had given him the first time they had met three years ago. He glared at a snickering Sasuke and ignored Haku's giggling. 

"How did you manage to arrange that?"

Naruto shrugged, "It helps to have friends in high places. I've got the acceptance scrolls with me, all you have to do is agree and they're yours. You'll have the choice to join us, leave for Konoha, or pretend to be the enemy."

Zabuza stared at Naruto before he dropped down from the tree, "Keep the scrolls until after this whole fiasco with Gato is done. I'll gladly fight the copycat ninja.to buy you time"

Kakashi rolled his eyes and started to take his forehead protector. Michiaki stopped him, "Save that for later, Kakashi-senpai. You may not need it just yet and I'd hate for you to waste your chakra."

Kakashi nodded, "Thank you, Michi-kun. I forgot."

Michiaki smiled and let Kakashi and Zabuza square off. Sasuke turned to Michiaki with a questioning look, "Why did you stop him? What's under that forehead protector?"

Michiaki smirked, "A scar."

Sasuke gave him a deadpanned look and Michiaki chuckled, "You'll see it if he needs to release it, though please keep in mind that he never wanted it. It was gifted to him in an unpleasant situation. You'd probably do the same to Naruto if you were caught in a similar situation."

Sasuke tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Michiaki shook his head, "That's not my story to tell."

\----

The battle on the bridge was brutal without Naruto to help them out. Nobody knew why the blonde was missing. Perhaps it was the fact that he had recovered from overusing his chakra the night before.

What if he encountered trouble back at the house?

Michiaki shook those thoughts out of his head and focused on the losing battle. Even with Zabuza and Haku on their side from the beginning, they were having trouble holding back Gato’s thugs.

What turned the tide was the appearance of a foreign nin that only Michiaki recognized.

A man with long black hair and crimson eyes smiled at the rag-tag group, “Hello everyone. Hiruzen-sama sent me to help you out after he heard about the new ranking of this mission.”

Michiaki was the first one to speak up, “Thank you! What’s your name?”

The man smiled, “Kiyoshi at your service!”

Gira’s and Kakashi’s eyes widened at the name and glanced at Michiaki, who nodded subtlety.

_ So this is what the nine-tailed bijuu looks like as a human? _

\----

Team 7 ran back to Konoha nearly a month after being assigned a low C-ranked mission. Naruto and Sakura were quieter than normal, which was normal after someone had their first kill.

Zabuza and Haku were silently running next to each other, Zabuza concerned for Haku, who was quick to lay the older man’s concerns to rest. 

Sasuke and Kakashi were speaking quietly. Sasuke had gotten Kakashi to talk about how he got his Sharingan after the fight and he was comforting the man about the loss of his teammates.

Michiaki was silent beside his younger self, providing silent comfort.

Sakura was between Kiyoshi and Gira, who were trying to cheer the pink-haired girl up with soft jokes.

Everyone, even Sakura, was concerned about their usually loveable sunshine blond teammate. He was the one who had watched Tsunami-chan die after all.

Naruto had trained all day and all night and had exhausted his chakra trying and succeeding at tree walking. He woke up around noon to sounds of screaming. He had stumbled around but eventually was able to make it to the entrance of Tazuna's house.

A couple of bandits were holding Tsunami captive while Inari was trying to save her with a kitchen knife in hand. Naruto watched, helpless, as Inari missed the bandit and stabbed his mother instead.

That was what drove Naruto forwards. He killed the two bandits in a fit of rage and proceeded to hold a wailing Inari. 

The rest of team 7 came a few hours later to find both of them sobbing over a dead Tsunami, who had died instantly.

Naruto had told them the story to save Inari the trauma of having to tell about how he had accidentally killed his mother.

They had buried Tsunami and helped to build the bridge a bit faster.

Nobody had said a bad word to Inari and had tried to comfort the two grieving males. Neither Tazuna nor Inari had to say anything, but the way they treated Naruto meant they blamed the blonde for the woman's death. They named the bridge the Great Team 7 Bridge after their grief had slightly abated.

They had apologized to Naruto, but the damage was done.

**_“Brat, they were grieving the loss of a daughter and mother.”_ **

**_“_ ** _ I know, Kurama-san. I just... I wanted to save her. They're right, it was my fault that she died. I wasn't fast enough to save her. I couldn't stop Inari from stabbing her since I was still exhausted. I shouldn't have been training so hard the day before.” _

Kurama sighed,  **_“Brat, you're not going to be able to save everyone. It's impossible to do that all by yourself. I want you to take a week away from being a Ninja. Let Sasuke and Michiaki treat you and go to T &I like both Sasuke and Michiaki_ ** .”

Naruto scoffed bitterly,  _ “We're a broken family, all of us. All of us need some kind of therapy to be alright.” _

Kurama sighed again,  **_“That's not a bad thing, brat. It just means that you're a human being. It means that you're kind and caring that you are broken over a kind woman dying and having to kill two bandits. It means that you aren't the monster the villagers make you out to be.”_ **

Naruto's eyes widened,  _ “I didn't think of it like that. Thanks, Kurama!” _

Naruto shifted his eyes to Sasuke and broke formation to run beside his crush, smiling wearily at the Uchiha, "Hey, Sasuke. Thanks for trying to cheer me up earlier. I just... needed some time to myself."

Everyone was shocked that he spoke. Sasuke smiled kindly, "No problem, Naruto-kun. What are brothers for?"

Naruto fidgeted with his hands, "Ano... I was thinking that I... need a week away from being a ninja. I need some time to process everything... and I want to go to T&I since I... keep blaming myself for Tsunami-chan's death."

Sasuke smiled and tucked a strand of Naruto's hair behind his ear while still running, "That's probably a good idea. I'll take care of you and so will Michiaki-san."

Naruto's smile got a bit brighter.

\----

Naruto ended up spending a month away from being a ninja, Inoichi's orders. During that time, Naruto was taken care of both physically and mentally by the whole team. 

On the days where he couldn't bring himself out of his bed, Sasuke, Sakura, Haku, and Gira joined him, cuddling and sleeping. 

On the days when Naruto wanted to help out, he was trained by Kakashi, Zabuza, and Michiaki.

Near the end of the month, he ran into Danzo Shimura for the first time. He was in Hiruzen's office at the same time Naruto was going to be giving his weekly update about his mental health.

Danzo stared at a subdued Naruto. 

"Hello, Jiji. Inoichi couldn't bring the report himself, so he asked me to bring it to you myself."

Hiruzen smiled sadly, "Alright."

Naruto matched his smile as he handed the report over to his grandfather figure. 

Hiruzen read over the report before setting it down with a sigh, "How are you, Naruto?"

Naruto's smile fell as he looked away, "Not too great. A bit better than a month ago, though I believe Inoichi-san doesn't want me to continue being a ninja since it affects me so terribly."

Hiruzen sighed, "What do you want to do, Naruto?"

Naruto closed his eyes, "My goal to be Hokage remains the same." 

His eyes opened and he stared at the Hokage with azure eyes ablaze with fire, "I want to be Hokage so nobody has to go through what I went through, though I understand now that it is unrealistic. As long as there are battles and wars, people are going to be scarred and traumatized. What I  _ can _ do is help put more emphasis on therapy and rehabilitation so those people get the help they deeply need. I know that I'm not as smart as my teammates or as strong, but I still want to protect and take care of this village." 

He looked to the side again, this time embarrassed, "My selfish wish to be acknowledged as a person doesn't matter anymore. I want to help get  _ other _ people acknowledged."

Danzo was surprised at the maturity that the twelve-year-old showed, "And to think that you were a prankster brat just not too long ago. While I'm glad that you've matured, I share Hiruzen's wish that it didn't have to be because you weren't strong enough to keep someone from dying on your watch."

Naruto looked up at Danzo, startled. 

A tick mark formed on his forehead, "Oi, I wasn't a prankster brat, dattebayo!"

Hiruzen chuckled at the exchange while Danzo smirked. 

Danzo glanced at Naruto before turning back to Hiruzen, "With your permission, I'd like Naruto to be my apprentice. I feel like he'd be able to grow even more under my tutelage. I understand that he's a natural prodigy but his education was less than savory until Michiaki-kun came along. I'll take it upon myself to teach him what he was supposed to already know -and what Michiaki-kun may have missed- and guide him to the path he wants to go on. I could also teach him governmental politics and help show him what happens behind the desk."

Hiruzen regarded his long-time friend and the self-proclaimed ‘Sharingan stealer,’ before turning towards Naruto, "Danzo is the head of Anbu training, Naruto-kun. He usually only offers to be someone's sensei if he believes that they are a true prodigy. It's a lot of responsibility."

Naruto nodded slowly, "I understand, Jiji. Ano, will I be able to stay in Team 7 or will I have to leave it?"

Danzo regarded him for a while, "I'll probably have you move into the Anbu headquarters for your training when you're ready. If you want, you can join the other Anbu-in-training in the general course, though it will be very rough. You may tell your team and family so that they won't be worried if you suddenly just disappear. You'll also still have access to any therapy that you may still need."

Naruto nodded, "Is it alright if I talk to my team before I decide? I will get back to you before the week is over."

Danzo nodded, "Take your time with answering me. There's no rush. I'd rather you know that you want to do this before you go rather than realizing that you don't after you impulsively accept."

Naruto smiled and bowed, "Yorokonde*."

\----

Naruto found his team training on Training Ground 7, as usual. He watched them, knowing that Kakashi and Zabuza knew that he was there. He thought over the offer and sat down to meditate.

“ _ Hey, Kurama, what do cha think about the offer Danzo-san made?” _

Kurama was silent for a couple of moments,  **_“He was being honest, though he forgot to mention that if you do become an Anbu, you'll have to do high-level missions and you might even have to go on a few suicide missions, depending on the path you take. If you want to be Kage, this is probably the best offer you'll ever get.”_ **

Naruto nodded,  _ “That's what I was thinking. Do cha think I can handle that type of thing?” _

Kurama stared down at his host before scoffing,  **_“You're more than capable of handling those types of missions both physically and mentally. You showed your humanity, just remember that you're human and entitled to feel emotions. A lot of Anbu become emotionless because of their training and missions.”_ **

Naruto grinned up at his friend before looking to the side,  _ “Ano, should I tell Sasuke how I feel before I go or wait to see how I feel after the training, however long that it might take?” _

Kurama chuckled,  **_“You should wait to tell him about your crush on him, though if you want, you can mess with him_ ** .”

Naruto laughed,  _ “By telling him that he's the best friend and brother that I've ever had?” _

Kurama grinned,  **_“I have taught you well, brat.”_ **

Naruto left his mind-space chuckling. He continued watching his team train, his mind already made up, no matter what his family might say.

\----

It wasn't until everyone had been treated to Ichiraku by Naruto that they asked what was going on.

Naruto gave them a thin smile, "Let's go home, it's a bit... private."

Everyone shared a look of concern but they all agreed.

As soon as everyone was settled in the living room and focused on Naruto that he began to speak, "I had to give Inoichi's report to Hiruzen today. Inoichi-san believes that I am... unfit to be a Shinobi."

Sasuke and Michiaki both inhaled sharply while Zabuza and Kakashi grumbled about well-meaning therapists. Sakura stood up angrily and Naruto was quick to shout out, "Wait! Don't go anywhere until you hear everything!"

Sakura plopped back down, still fuming. Naruto gave her a placating smile, "Thank you, Sakura-chan. Jiji read over the report and asked me how I was and what I wanted to do. There was another man in the room who heard my answer. I thought that he was a council member, although Jiji looked comfortable and relaxed in his presence."

Haku smiled softly, "What was your answer, Naru-chan?"

Naruto grinned, "I want to be Hokage!” His grin dimmed to a determined smile, “I want to help protect and help those who have been through what I went through and even prevent that. I want to emphasize therapy and rehabilitation programs for scarred and traumatized shinobi like myself. I want to take care of this village to the best of my ability!"

Everyone was blown away by his maturity and conviction, much as Danzo and Hiruzen had been.

Sakura was the second person to speak, "Who was the second person in the room, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto smiled kindly, "Danzo Shimura, head of Anbu Training. He offered me to be his apprentice. I have until the end of the week to give him my answer."

Kakashi's eyes widened, "He's willing to train you personally?"

Naruto nodded, "He believes that I might grow a bit more under his tutelage and he's willing to give me the education I missed out on while in the Academy and what Michi-nii might have missed when he taught me. He's also willing to teach me governmental politics so I can catch a glimpse of what happens behind the Hokage desk. I can also choose to take the general Anbu course."

Kakashi closed his eyes wearily and Michiaki assessed Naruto silently. Both he and Sasuke had been taught by Danzo, who wasn't that bad in his later years after Hiruzen died, though he had no clue how he was right now.

Michiaki smiled bitterly, "You've already decided, haven't you?"

Naruto nodded, "I decided while watching you guys train. I want to accept it, even though that will mean me leaving Team 7 for the whole of my Anbu training. I will still be able to go to therapy. I might also be able to go through the Chunin Exams as well, though I'll have to ask Danzo-san about that."

***Yorokonde means happily or it's a pleasure or with pleasure. There are many more meanings to it, but they all mean something similar.**

**Sorry, for the ones who love Tsunami.**

**Tsunami-chan is not the only female that I'm killing off in this story. Each death will affect Naruto a bit differently because of the circumstances surrounding them. Please don't yell at me as these deaths are what will shape Naruto's personality and goals. Each time the main character dies, I will apologize for it like above. I'm thinking at least one more main female will die.**

**That being said, this chapter was incredibly painful to write, so I'll leave off with a face for you lovely readers.**

**T^T**


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto accepts Danzo's offer and Michiaki leaves Konoha on a personal mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies!
> 
> I had a hard time deciding whether the put this mission in this story, but I liked it too much to not include it!
> 
> I changed a few things in this chapter!
> 
> 1) Since it was running into 4000 words, I took out Gaara's talk with Michiaki at the end, it will be in the next chapter.
> 
> 2) I added a bit of Gira here and there (as usual).
> 
> 3) I included a cute little Kakamichi moment *-*
> 
> 4) I took out Michiaki's want to speak to Itachi and let it just happen naturally.
> 
> 5) I took out Aki's and Hinoji's descriptions since they were already introduced earlier in the story.
> 
> 6) I updated Naruto's training description slightly.

Everyone except for Michiaki and Gira was opposed to Naruto going into Anbu training, though nobody outright said anything. 

Kakashi regarded the red-haired time traveler, "Michiaki-kohai, why are you ok with this?"

"Hm? Oh, because I know that Naruto-kun can handle himself. He needs the extra training that being with Danzo-san will give him. This is an excellent step in the right direction. He'll be able to learn things that we can't teach him."

"But-"

"Yes, he may have panic attacks or days where he won't be able to pick himself out of bed,” Michiaki conceded. “But you have to remember that Danzo-san is the head of Anbu training. He's had to deal with everything before, he'll be able to help Naruto-kun."

Gira grinned, “Besides, Naru-chan’s depression is only temporary! Becoming an Anbu will let him obtain his goal just a bit easier.”

Kakashi sighed, "It will be boring without our loveable prankster."

Naruto smiled wryly and everyone saw just how much he had matured in just a month away from being an active Shinobi. 

Naruto chuckled, "Inoichi-san is going to be  _ angry _ ."

Sasuke smirked, "We'll take care of Inoichi-san, Naru-chan. You focus on getting closer to your goal."

Naruto smiled,  _ “Arrrrrgggggg I wanna tell him SOOOOOO bad!!!” _

Kurama chuckled,  **_“Mess with him_ ** . **_”_ **

Naruto grinned, "Thanks, Sasuke-kun! You're the best friend I could ever ask for!"

Sasuke twitched and Sakura had to keep herself from snickering. She knew what Naruto was doing. She sincerely hoped that Naruto told Sasuke how he felt for the raven when he got back from training. Haku raised an eyebrow at Sasuke, who was avoiding looking at anyone.

"Hn."

Sasuke left and Sakura and Naruto fell into fits of laughter. 

"I can't believe he fell for that!" Sakura gasped out.

Michiaki smirked at the prankster duo while Kakashi sighed. Zabuza smirked when he realized what Naruto had done and Haku smiled secretly.

Naruto and Sakura slowly calmed down and Naruto became serious again, albeit a bit embarrassed, "I didn't want to tell him just in case I don't love him after the training, which is indefinite at this point. I didn't want him to feel like I led him on if that ever happened."

Sakura nodded, "That's understandable."

Naruto smirked, "I also wanted to mess with him a little bit. It'd make any future confessions so much sweeter."

Michiaki snorted, he liked this version of himself much better than his own younger personality. He was less hostile, rude, and testy, maybe because he had helped give the boy a family as he had always wanted. Sasuke is showing him the meaning of love, even if Naruto was wary to enter a relationship with his "brother."

Michiaki sighed, it was time to put his fuinjutsu to the test as well as his diplomatic skills. He would have to ask for a mission, with his team, that goes into Suna. He eyed Kakashi and Zabuza. Kakashi was an honorary member of the rare six-cell Anbu team. He rarely went on a mission with them, though Michiaki didn't doubt that he'd need the genius this time.

Michikai smiled at Naruto, "Ne, would you mind if I left for a little bit for some personal business? I don't know how long it would take."

Naruto's eyes glinted as he tilted his head, "As long as you promise to come back to Sasuke and that you tell him before you leave. He might deny this but he still doesn't trust that you won't leave and never come back like  _ him _ ."

Michiaki's smile fell, "Hai, Naruto-kun. Always." 

Michiaki turned his eyes to meet his superior's, "Kakashi-senpai I may need your help in this... personal endeavor, though if Hiruzen-sama asks for you to stay then I won't push for you to accompany me. I'll be taking my team."

Kakashi nodded, "When are you going to ask about this mission?"

Michiaki titled his head, "The same time Naru-chan goes to accept Danzo's offer." 

Michiaki turned to Zabuza, ignoring Naruto's embarrassed protests to the nickname, "You may have to teach Team 7 on your own, Zabuza-san. If that happens it means Kakashi-senpai, Hiruzen-sama, and I trust you not to completely mentally scar the rest of our kids."

Zabuza smirked and Haku facepalmed, causing Naruto and Sakura to snicker. 

Kakashi shook his head, standing up and pulling Michiaki and Naruto by their collars, "Come on, brats, we have to get up early tomorrow."

Michiaki and Naruto pouted and Zabuza burst into laughter at their similar sour faces. The trio walked through the living room, where Sasuke was brooding in. 

He burst into laughter when he saw them, "What did you two do to make Kakashi mad this time?"

Michiaki snorted, "Nothing. Oh, Kakashi dear, please let go of my shirt so I can talk to Sasuke please."

Kakashi smirked, "Yes Aki dear." 

He released Michiaki's collar and the time traveler fell to the ground with a grunt. He could vaguely hear Kiyoshi laughing his ass off in the back of his mind.

_ "Oi, Kiyoshi, shut up!" _

Kiyoshi kept laughing and Michiaki rolled his eyes. 

He sat up and smiled at Sasuke, noticing that Kakashi and Naruto had left the room already, "Hello, Sasuke-kun, we need to talk."

Sasuke sat up straighter, "What's going on?"

Michiaki sighed, "Since Naruto-kun is going into Anbu training, I have time to do some... personal business outside of Konoha. I'll talk to Hiruzen-sama about leaving with team Hinoji as soon as possible. The only thing is, I don't know when I'll be coming back and I'll be taking Kakashi-senpai with me as well. I wanted to tell you since tomorrow morning I'll be talking about it with Hiruzen-sama. I _am not abandoning_ _you_. I may be talking to _him_ as well, are you okay with that?"

Sasuke's eyes widened and tears filled his eyes. He shot out of his seat and latched himself to Michiaki's waist. His body shook with fear and sadness. Michiaki hugged him back and sighed. He hated how much Sasuke -his former friend- was hurting with Itachi’s disappearance

"I... don't want you to talk to him! What if he hurts you? I can't lose another nii-san!"

Michiaki knelt before Sasuke, "You know why I need to talk to him. Maybe... just maybe... I can convince him to come to check up on you and the team soon, though you may not see him."

Sasuke started to cry harder and Michiaki rubbed circles on the pre-teen's back, noticing the second half of team 7 in the doorway. He decided to ignore them for now. 

"Would you like to see him again, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke could only nod and Michiaki picked him up, "Let's go to sleep, we'll need it. Would you like to sleep with me and Naruto-kun tonight?"

Sasuke nodded, embarrassed. Sakura caught on and tugged on Michiaki's sleeve, "Could Haku and I join, if it's not too much trouble?"

Haku blushed as Michiaki smiled, "It's not too much trouble. My bed is too big for one person, anyway."

"It's too big for a hundred people," Sasuke mumbled into Michiaki's chest and the older man laughed gently.

"You know it's not that big, Sasuke-kun. Ten people can sleep on it, tops."

Zabuza grinned, "We could corral Kakashi and make it a team sleepover."

Michiaki smirked, but then became thoughtful, "No, he wouldn't like that. Maybe we could get the kids to sleep together and then we could see if Kakashi would sleep with us, or just me, and you could join the kids."

Zabuza roared with laughter, "I wouldn't mind joining the kids if you two just want some alone time."

Michiaki blushed, "No! That's... That's not what I meant!"

Zabuza kept laughing and Haku lightly slapped his arm in a playful rebuke. Zabuza blinked down at the younger teen, who blushed and looked away from the man he still viewed as his master. Zabuza narrowed his eyes. 

They needed to talk.

\----

Kakashi, Naruto, and Michiaki stood in front of Hiruzen and Danzo early the next morning. Kakashi and Michiaki were embarrassed since Naruto had to wake them up and they had been cuddling  _ again _ . Naruto had taken a picture of the scene and refused to delete it.

Danzo raised his eyebrows, "I  _ know _ that you two, Kakashi and Michiaki, aren't here to accept my offer."

Michiaki chuckled, "No sir, we aren't. I'm here to request something from Hiruzen-sama since Naruto-kun has made his decision."

Danzo raised his eyebrows further in mock surprise, "So soon?"

Naruto blushed, "I knew as soon as I saw my team training."

Danzo chuckled, "I knew what you'd choose, it was in your eyes the moment I offered."

Naruto smiled, "Then, for formality's sake, I accept your offer, Danzo-san."

Danzo smiled down at Naruto, "Thank you for accepting. Do you want to go ahead and start your training now?"

Naruto grinned, "Yes! I have everything packed!"

Danzo grinned as they left, listening to what Naruto packed, chuckling at Naruto's food choice.

Hiruzen glanced at Michiaki and Kakashi before sighing, "Do I need to bring in Hinoji and Aki?"

Michiaki thought for a moment, "Yes, because my request revolves around my team as well, though I want to leave Hanaka-chan and Kazuchi-sensei out of this."

Hiruzen nodded and signaled for an Anbu, who happened to be Aki.

Michiaki grinned as HIruzen sighed, "Is Hinoji Hyuga with you?"

Aki smiled, "Yes, he is." Aki's voice was as smooth and graceful as the rest of her body.

A second Anbu stepped forward and took off his mask, revealing the calm face of Hinoji Hyuga.

Hiruzen signaled for the rest of the Anbu to leave and set up a silencing barrier, "What is your request, Michiaki?"

Michiaki smiled, "It's time to put my Fuinjutsu skills to use. I'm a level 8 Seal Master and I should be able to help Suna's JInchuriki, but I need a reason how I know about him and his seal."

"Rasa and I talk often and he told me about his son's faulty seal and how uncontrollable he is," Hiruzen admitted.

Michiaki smiled, "And you could send one of your best Seal Masters, or Seal-Master-in-training, to check to see what is up with his seal and if I can fix it."

Hiruzen smiled, "It never ceases how much you amaze me, mago."

Michiaki grinned, "Thanks ojiisan. Do you need time to get permission from Kazekage-sama before we can go to Sunagakure, or can you just send us?”

Hiruzen grimaced, "I'd need to get permission before I can send you six if Kakashi is comfortable leaving Zabuza-san in charge of what's left of Team 7."

Kakashi nodded, "I trust Zabuza-san to not only teach my kawaii genins but to also protect them. I'll also let him make any decisions of their abilities when the Chunin Exams roll around and we're still out of Konoha."

Hiruzen nodded, "Very well, I'll send Rasa-san a message. I'll contact you six the answer if it's permission and only you, Michiaki if it's denial."

Michiaki bowed, "Thanks, ojiisan."

\----

Naruto's new training regimen was rough from the beginning. It was at a higher level than he was used to. He wasn't treated like a piece of glass, which he was both grateful and annoyed by.

Taijutsu was absolute hell for the genin. He had always relied on other people and surprise to win a fight. In his Anbu training, he was forced to learn an actual Kata, though he was allowed to evolve it so that it reflected his unpredictable nature, which was as hard as learning the original Kata was.

Danzo literally and figuratively destroyed him during their spars and it didn't help that Shikaku, Inochi, and Chouza were laughing from the sidelines. He had learned the hard way that relying on Kurama's chakra would gain him a  _ hard _ beating. His body ached when he thought about it.

It took a week before Naruto showed any progress in his Taijutsu training. Inochi was surprised when Naruto landed his first hit on Danzo and he had to admit that Naruto  _ might be capable _ of being a Shinobi. He had yet to hear what Naruto had said to make Danzo so interested in the twelve-year-old.

Shikaku and Chouza had smirked at Inochi, they had heard what Naruto had said and they were rooting on the boy becoming Hokage. They refused to tell Inochi, saying that he needed to hear Naruto himself when he said it.

Naruto's Ninjutsu was also getting better but his Genjutsu still wasn't that great so Danzo was focusing on Chakra Control in hopes that he'd get better.

Naruto was also learning Kenjutsu, which he had shown a natural talent for as had been reported by Michiaki, Kakashi, and Gira after they had come back to Konoha after the Escort Mission.

He went to Hiashi, Hinata, and Neji to learn politics and etiquette, although Neji was rude to him most of the time and Hinata was very shy around him. Neji, Naruto, and Hinata sparred to get their frustrations towards each other out, which Danzo encouraged.

Naruto also sparred with the rest of Neji's and Hinata's teams so he could learn better strategies.

He found out that he liked to play Shogi with Shikaku -already knowing that he loved playing with Shikamaru- and found himself at their house more often than anywhere else. The Naras enjoyed Naruto's presence as none of them held a grudge to Kurama as most people did.

He also enjoyed sparring with Shikamaru and his team as it put his strategy making skills to the test. He failed more often than not, but he still was learning.

Kurenai-sensei put his Genjutsu making and breaking skills to the test.

It helped that everyone he was learning from would point out his weak points and force him to strengthen them and force him to change the way he fought or thought.

Even Inoichi helped him by teaching a bit of the psychology of Shinobi and how breakable the mind is even if you were the strongest person mentally.

Naruto soaked everything up with a passion to learn and even Inoichi began rooting for the blonde boy.

\----

During the same time as Naruto was able to land a hit on Danzo, Michiaki, Kakashi, and the rest of Team Hinoji left for Suna. It was labeled as a SSS mission since it dealt with a dangerous, if young, Jinchuriki.

They were a few hours from Suna when they ran across Kisame and Itachi. Michiaki tried not to laugh when Kisame immediately started fighting his team and Itachi ran away. Michiaki followed the eighteen-year-old Uchiha.

When they were far enough from the fight, Itachi stopped and turned to the time traveler, "Michiaki-kun, funny seeing you here."

Michiaki smiled bitterly, "Yeah, I have some things to do before I have to be squirreled away inside Konoha with Naruto-kun. You know why I'm here."

Itachi nodded, "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you anything."

Michiaki smiled, "I understand. All I ask is that you try and contact Sasuke-kun. He knows why you had to do what you did. He just wants to know that you're okay and that you didn't abandon him. He almost didn't let me go on this mission."

Itachi chuckled, "He has always been like that. Has he... I mean is he...?"

Michiaki smiled, "No, he doesn't want to kill you, he just wants to repair your relationship with him and work on getting compensation for what happened. He was miffed when he heard Danzo-san offered to apprentice Naruto-kun."

Itachi's eyebrows rose, "Danzo-san did that?" He narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

Michiaki waved the question away, "It'd take too long to explain. Just know that Naruto-kun is different now. He... isn't as loud or selfish as before."

Itachi sighed, "Does it hurt to see him like that?"

"Yes, for both of them."

Itachi nodded, "I'll try and contact him, though Leader-sama might not like it if I contact someone else from Konoha, especially if it's my younger brother. It might seem like I want to leave."

Michiaki smiled kindly, "Do you want to send a message to him?"

Itachi smiled back to the slightly older red-head, "Yes." He summoned a crow, "This crow has a recorded message for Sasuke. It will start speaking if and only if he is alone and will stop if someone comes along."

Michiaki smiled as he stored the crow. He bowed, "It was nice talking to you, Itachi-kun."

Itachi nodded, "Hn."

Michiaki snorted, "Don't start that now."

Itachi just smirked.

\----

Haku glanced at where Sakura and Sasuke were sparring. He wanted to join in the spar, as it seemed fun. 

He was brought out of his thoughts by Zabuza sitting next to him, "Why aren't you joining your teammates?"

Haku glanced at his master, "I didn't know if I was allowed to, Master Zabuza."

Zabuza frowned, "I'm not your master anymore, Haku. I'm your sensei in Konoha. I was your master when we weren't affiliated with a Shinobi village. I was your master when you were a tool to be used in my schemes. I don't have those same goals as before since I have a safe place to stay without fear of dying at any moment of the day or night. You're not a tool anymore, you're a person with talents. I know that it might take some time to understand what I'm trying to say, but know I'm here if you need to talk about questions." 

Zabuza stood up to leave, "Oh, and call me Zabuza-sensei from now on."

Haku was stunned into silence as he watched his former master. He  _ knew _ that he wasn't a tool anymore but he didn't want to think like that because that brought on the feeling that he wasn't useful anymore.

Zabuza had just told him that he was still useful but on a bigger scale. He could help protect their new village and the children that resided within. He could help heal the injured without having to think that he could be thrown away as soon as he messed up or wasn't useful anymore.

Haku smiled as he stood up and walked up to the spar that was still going on, easily slipping inside the battle much to his friends' joy.

\----

Michiaki was exhausted when they finally made it to Suna. Kisame had been an asshole, wanting to attack everyone, especially Michiaki. Itachi had had enough after an hour and dragged the ex-swordsman away from Team Hinoji, much to Kisame's dismay.

Gira was sleeping in a seal that Michiaki had made just for her when traveling or when she needed to get a boost in power, like now.

Even though they were all exhausted, they had to see Rasa immediately. Man, he was such a slave driver. Michiaki wondered if he treated his Anbu the same way or if it was just a Konoha thing.

The looks of sympathy he got from the Suna Shinobi told him that it was a common occurrence. Michiaki sighed and focused on the imposing man in front of him.

Hinoji was the one to greet the Kazekage, "Hello Kazekage-sama. I'm the team leader, Hinoji Hyuga."

Raza nodded his head, "Do you have your mission scroll with you?"

Hinoji nodded, "Michiaki-kun, would you please give it to Rasa-sama?"

Michiaki bowed and handed the scroll to Rasa, who looked over the scroll. 

He placed it down after a moment, "So you're the seal-master-in-training who heard of my son's faulty seal from Hiruzen-san."

Michiaki bowed, "Yes sir. I became worried about the boy and wanted to see if I could help."

Rasa nodded, "I will allow it, as long as Lady Chiyo and Lord Ebizo watch over the process. My son is always awake so you can go to him at any time after you rest."

Michiaki bowed, "Then would tomorrow suffice?"

Rasa nodded, "Yes, though it may be difficult to find him so I may help you out by summoning him."

Michiaki froze, "If I may, I would like to search him out. I feel like he'd trust me more if I went to him instead of the other way around."

Rasa narrowed his eyes, "How do you know about his trust issues?"

Michiaki smiled gently, "My younger cousin is also a Jinchuriki. He's been abused all his childhood and he trusted me better because I asked Hiruzen to let me search him out as well and it worked out very well. Of course, my cousin's seal wasn't as faulty as what your son's, but it might work in both of our favor if we get him to trust me."

Rasa blinked, "There's a Jinchuriki in Konoha?"

Michiaki's eyes widened at the slip, "Yes... but Hiruzen would like it to be kept a secret for as long as possible so he doesn't get targeted since his parents were well known."

Rasa nodded, "I understand. I will also let you go on the search. Be careful because he can completely hide his chakra."

Michiaki bowed, "Thank you for your acceptance and tip."

_***Mago means "grandson" last I checked. I may be wrong, though.** _

_***Arigato means "thank you."** _


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiaki starts to reseal Shukaku after meeting Gaara, Naruto helps calm Team 7 down after they are refused another C-ranked mission, and Haku and Zabuza have another talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies! Neanai here with the next chapter.
> 
> I didn't change too much about this chapter. 
> 
> For reference, Gira is still sealed away, Michiaki had just brought her along just in case but hasn't needed her so far.
> 
> The next chapter will be the former chapter 12 so we're almost caught up with the original story! After I posted Chapter 16, I'll be moving on to "Second Chances Shouldn't Go To Waste" (which I will start posting on A03 when I start the rewriting process).

Finding Gaara wasn't as bad as Rasa had made it out to be, as the boy had listened in on the meeting and heard what the man called Michiaki had said. His mother had told him to go to him and he did, when the man was trying to sleep, although he woke up as soon as Gaara flared his chakra.

Michiaki smiled kindly, "Hello, Subaku no Gaara. I'm assuming that you want to talk about what I said to your father?"

Gaara nodded mutely and Michiaki stood up silently, "I meant what I said." 

He started to get dressed, though he stopped when he felt sand wrap around his legs, "What is it?"

"I thought 9 is the same age as me."

_ “Shit! I forgot about how smart Gaara is!” _

Kiyoshi laughed at Michiaki's predicament as the older red-head sighed, "He is. Let me get dressed and we can go somewhere there aren't as many eyes."

Gaara glared at Michiaki and the pressure increased on his legs, "Seriously?” Michiaki growled slightly, startling the poor teen. “What I have to say is very sensitive and can get both of us killed if the wrong person hears it."

Gaara stilled and withdrew the sand, "Get dressed."

Michiaki rolled his eyes but obeyed the younger boy, which amused Gaara slightly. As soon as the older red-head was dressed, they left the hotel room. They were soon on top of the Kazekage Tower, the tallest building in Suna. 

"Very few 'eyes' follow me here."

Michiaki sighed, "What I said is true. 9 is a boy your age. But what you said is also true, 9 is me. The simple explanation is that I'm from the future or the future six years ago. Doubtless, the future is foreign to me now. My time no longer exists."

Gaara blinked and Michiaki chuckled at his expression, "Do you want me to prove it?"

Gaara nodded and Michiaki sighed, "The only way I know how to do it is to enter your mind and show you my past or the other way around."

"I'll enter your mind."

Michiaki nodded, "I'll have to hold your hand and pull on your chakra. I mean you no harm."

Gaara nodded mutely and let Michiaki gently grab his hand. He felt a tug on his chakra and he followed it, soon finding himself in a sewer. 

His eyes widened when he saw a weakened bijuu in front of him, "What happened to him?"

Michiaki looked at Kiyoshi sadly, "Time traveling took most of his chakra away permanently. He is now only half as strong as he used to be, though he still has all nine tails. We're thankful that he didn't lose anything other than his chakra. He's been training to get his chakra levels up again, but it will never be the same."

Kiyoshi opened an eye and stared at the duo and snorted,  **"It's the bloody duo."**

Michiaki snorted while Gaara deadpanned. 

He stared at Michiaki, "Inside joke?"

Michiaki blinked, "It refers to the fact that we both have red hair. Also, we're both bloodthirsty, or have been at one point."

Gaara's eyes widened at Michiaki's casual admittance and Michiaki signaled towards a tunnel, "That tunnel leads to my memories. I will not go with you so you don't feel like I somehow manipulated them."

Gaara nodded and entered the tunnel. His heels clicked as he watched each recent memory flow past, watched each half-truth, truth, and lie that the man had said for the past six years. He came to a door labeled 'Number One Unpredictable Orange Hokage' and opened it.

\----

When Gaara finally made it back to Michiaki, silent tears were rolling down his face. 

Michiaki silently hugged the distraught pre-teen, "I'm sorry you had to see that. Only my therapist knows all the details. Naruto knows of our shared past, but not what happened differently."

"Why?"

"They were afraid of what I could do at any moment. I never blamed them though I hated them."

His tears fell faster, "Will you ever tell him?"

Michiaki hummed, "Maybe, since he deserves to know, but I have no way of knowing if everything is going to be the same or if it's going to be different this time around."

"Why would they force you to do that?"

"Kiyoshi used to be a fluff ball of pure rage-"

" **Hey!"**

"-but now he's been purified." Michiaki paused, "Though he's still a fluff ball."

Kiyoshi kicked both of them out with a huff.

Michiaki snickered and Gaara blinked at him, "Are you two always like that?"

Gaara's voice held none of the emotions that it had when he was in his mind and Michiaki smiled, "Mostly, yeah. We like to tease each other since we've always been together."

Gaara nodded, "I'd like that with mother."

Michiaki smiled sadly as he watched the younger red-head leave,  _ “I'm going to have to tell him the truth about what's inside of him.” _

**_“Or you could let him find out.”_ **

_ “That too.” _

\----

Michiaki should've guessed that Lady Chiyo was going to be waiting for him when he came back from his talk with Gaara. He bowed to her, "I am assuming you are Lady Chiyo?"

The older woman nodded, a frown adorning her face, "And you must be the seal-master-in-training Michiaki Uzumaki."

Michiaki bowed, "Yes ma'am."

"Where were you?"

Michiaki smiled, "Gaara-sama heard about me and decided that he wanted to talk to me in private."

Chiyo paused, surprised, "What did you talk to him about?"

"The seal and about the Jinchuuriki in Konoha, though I am only allowed to tell you about the seal."

Chiyo nodded, "Have you seen the seal with your eyes?"

Michiaki shook his head, "Not yet. He didn't want to show me at the moment, he just wanted to see if I was lying or not."

Chiyo nodded, "I could give you a copy of the seal if you wish."

Michiaki paused, "If it doesn't offend you, I'd rather see the seal for myself before I start planning."

Chiyo's eyes flashed in displeasure, "And why is that?"

"Sometimes people accidentally forget a line or add a line and sometimes people embellish the seal to hide their mistakes. I'd hate for you to give me the copy and I make the counterseal and a new seal and then find that Gaara-sama's seal is completely different and I have to spend  _ more _ time planning and resealing."

Chiyo nodded, "That seems reasonable. I'm going to stay with you to watch over your process."

Michiaki smiled, "Thank you for your time."

Chiyo waved his thankfulness away, "Go rest. Gaara-sama will come to you sometime today or tonight, depending on when he wants to talk to you."

Michiakai nodded and gratefully fell into his bed, ignoring the older woman's chuckles as he fell into a deep sleep once more.

\----

As hellish as Naruto's training was, it was also very rewarding. In just a few weeks, he was already ready to join his fellow Anbu-in-training.

Danzo and Inoichi could see the boy's nervousness as soon as he walked into the training room and all eyes fixed on him.

Why wouldn't he be nervous?  _ He was the youngest one there _ . Besides Shikamaru, of course, but Shikamaru was there not to become an Anbu but to receive training as the future Hokage's advisor when Shikaku eventually stepped down from the role. He was thinking of becoming Anbu Commander, but to do that, he'd have to become an Anbu and that was just too troublesome in his opinion.

Naruto was currently rethinking his life choices when he saw how experienced the other trainees there were.

Suddenly, he remembered what Danzo had told him the day before,  _ "There will be people there who have had much more experience than you, who have killed many more people than you have. This does not mean that they are better than you. That might mean that they are more inhumane since they don't care about the lives they take away or the lives lost around them. Hold your head high like you own the place, sure that'll anger them but it'll show that you aren't scared. That you belong there, even if you don't believe that yet." _

Naruto held his head up high, catching Danzo's eyes. He saw the older man smirk and nod his head in approval. Naruto's hands stopped shaking,  _ “I belong here. I  _ **_belong_ ** _ here _ . _ ” _

It wasn't long before Naruto was showing the other trainees  _ why _ he was there. Nobody ever said a word against why he was there after he mopped the floor with the strongest trainee.

Other than Hiruzen, of course, but Hiruzen was his ojiisan and it was expected for him to be opposed that his unstable mago would be there with other trainees who wouldn't hesitate to beat him into the ground.

Naruto smiled at Hiruzen, "Ne, Jiji, why are so opposed to me getting the training I need?"

Team 7, who was  _ trying _ to get a new mission paused and glanced over at the different-looking Naruto. They hadn't recognized the boy even though he'd been gone for only a few short weeks.

Naruto looked a bit slimmer -not in a bad way though- and his hair had probably grown half-an-inch longer, though that's not why they didn't recognize him. His clothing was. 

He didn't sport a drop of orange anywhere on his clothing. He wore a long-sleeved turtleneck black shirt with long black pants and black sandals. He wore black fingerless gloves that came down to just past his wrists.

His stance was loose, his legs in a relaxed pose, his left hand on his hip, and his right hand tapping his chin in a thoughtful pattern. His head was tilted to the right and a thoughtful yet amused look in his glassy blue eyes.

After Tsunami-chan died, his eyes lost their vibrancy and became as clear as ice. No one but Inoichi, Inari, and Naruto knew why his eyes were like that and all three refused to explain why until it was necessary. 

Naruto had yet to tell Danzo about it, yet the man didn't mind not knowing. He had his guesses and he wasn't about to confuse or scare off the boy by confronting him before he was ready.

His hair was as wild as ever -perhaps more so- and his whisker marks were the same and yet Sasuke felt like he was looking at someone else. Someone a bit wiser, a bit older, a bit...  _ stronger _ .

The only reason that they recognized him was that he was the only person impertinent enough to call the Hokage 'Jiji' other than Michiaki.

Hiruzen sighed, "Have you not been listening, Naru-chan? They could hurt you!"

Naruto laughed, "If they do, I'll learn that I'm not strong enough to beat them and I'll train harder! If I never get hurt, then I'll never learn."

Zabuza snorted and Naruto looked over at them with a sparkle in his eyes. 

He glanced over at his sensei, "May I?"

Danzo nodded with an amused smile and Naruto glanced back at Hiruzen, "Forgive me for leaving in such a discussion, I'll come back."

Hiruzen waved him away with a sigh. Naruto chuckled as he walked over to his old team. Sasuke couldn't help but notice the gracefulness in how he walked.

"Hello, mina!" Naruto greeted, happily. 

The Anbu smiled at the young cute pre-teen who was also one of the most dangerous people in that room.

Sakura grinned, "Hey Naruto! How's training?"

Naruto's grin matched hers, "It's going great! How's yours going?"

Sakura's eyes twitched and Haku stepped in, "We're trying for another C mission, though Hiruzen-sama wants us to complete a dozen more D missions before trying for another C."

Naruto nodded silently, he wanted to say something but was fearful that it was not his place to do so. Hiruzen sighed, "What are you thinking, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly and the Anbu snickered. It wasn't uncommon for Naruto to disrespect Hiruzen by taking his place as a mission-giver. They enjoyed watching him get sheepish as they  _ all _ knew that was just an act.

"Ano, I was thinking of asking Sasuke-kun and Zabuza-sensei what they think about all of this."

Hiruzen sighed and waved for him to go ahead. Naruto spun around, a serious look on his face, "What do you think of all this, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke tilted his head, "Considering our last C mission, I believe that Hokage-sama has a right to be cautious to send still-fresh genin on another C-ranked mission. I mean, what would've happened if you hadn't known Zabuza? It would've been a literal bloodbath! Of course, just because I understand this, it doesn't mean that I like this."

Naruto's lips twitched at everyone's surprise. It wasn't uncommon for Sasuke to talk a lot when speaking to him. 

"Thank you for your honesty, Sasuke-kun."

Naruto turned to Zabuza, "Do you think that your team is ready for a C mission that might go bad? Would everyone be able to contribute to the fights?"

Hiruzen was startled by the question while Zabuza regarded him silently, "I suppose we could use this time to get Sakura on par with the rest of her team."

Naruto smiled as Sakura twitched at the mention of her uselessness, "Ne, Sakura, he doesn't mean that you need to be babied, but that you could grow in a few areas. Try to view it as a compliment. He sees that you are struggling and is willing to teach you so you aren't struggling as much. Show him what you can do, tell him what you know about yourself and chakra, and let him do the rest."

Danzo's eyes widened, that had been the lesson Shikaku had given Naruto when they first started. Shikaku was smirking at Naruto, who grew embarrassed.

"Ano, that's what Shikaku-san said to me and it helped."

Everyone burst out in laughter, even Sakura.

\----

Haku kept learning what it meant to be in a teacher-student relationship and not a master-slave relationship.

For one, he didn't have to worry that he wasn't going to be useful to Zabuza anymore since Zabuza  _ knew _ that he wasn't at the level that he was at.

Second, he could do whatever he wanted, as long as he got along with Sakura and Sasuke as a team whenever they trained or went on a mission.

The second thing was what he had the most difficulty understanding. He wasn't used to being on a team with anyone other than Zabuza.

Before three weeks had passed, Zabuza was already talking to him again, "You're not used to all of this, are you?"

Haku shook his head, "No, Zabuza-sensei."

Zabuza smiled at the new way Haku greeted him, "What's the hardest part of all of this for you?"

Haku thought for a moment, "Being part of a team where everyone trusts me to do my part and protect them while I trust them to do the same. I mean, we had the same thing, but it was just the two of us and you didn't trust anyone else."

Zabuza nodded, "If it helps, I'm not used to that either. I'm currently going through training to help with my trust issues. My new team is very patient with me."

"Who's your team?"

"Shikaku Nara, Chouza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka."

Haku nodded, "That's nice of them."

Zabuza smiled, "They're also helping train Naruto-kun."

Haku's eyes widened, "They are?"

Zabuza nodded, "They are."

They sat in silence as they watched Sakura and Sasuke talk. 

"One way to trust them is to get to know them. Bond with them. When they ask you to go somewhere with them, you should not think of it as they are assessing you for flaws but trying to get to know you as a person."

With that Zabuza left and Haku smiled.

Moments later, Sakura ran up to Haku, "Hey Haku-kun! We just found out from Ino-chan that Naruto-kun is allowed to go out today so we're planning to go surprise him at Ichiraku's tonight! Do you want to join?"

Haku smiled, "I'd love to! Also, sorry for not joining you earlier."

Sakura grinned, "It's no big deal!”

\----

Lady Chiyo had been off by a day. It was two days after they talked when Gaara came to them. The red-haired boy glared at the older woman, who glared at the youngest son of the Kazekage.

Michiaki cleared his throat, "I would like it if you treated Gaara-sama with respect, Chiyo-sama. Also, Chiyo-sama is here to make sure I don't make things  _ worse _ for you and to make sure that the counterseal that I make is correct."

Gaara tilted his head and stopped glaring at the older woman, who stood chagrined by a stranger much younger than her.

Michiaki chuckled, "Alright! Gaara-sama, I'm going to have to ask you to show me your seal. If you want, I can tell my team to get lost."

Hinoji and Aki choked on laughter while Kazuchi and Hanaki looked bitter. Kakashi looked bored. Gaara glanced at the team warily.

Michiaki chuckled, "Hinoji, Aki, Kakashi, would you three be so kind as to stay here? I'd like to go somewhere Gaara feels comfortable going."

Gaara twitched at Michiaki's request, "Follow me."

Michiaki chuckled as Gaara left the room as quickly as he had come in. Michiaki was quick to follow the pre-teen with Chiyo not too far behind him as well.

They found themselves on the roof of the Kazekage Tower once again.

Gaara sat down and took off his shirt. Michiaki smiled at Gaara's trust and then realized where the seal was placed. The air around him turned to ice as he glared at Chiyo, "Care to explain why the seal  _ is placed above his heart? _ "

Chiyo gulped, "It was there when he was born."

The air turned icier and Gaara realized that Michiaki's bloodthirst was taking over, "Are you saying that Shukaku-sama was sealed inside Gaara-sama when Gaara-sama  _ was unborn _ ?"

All Chiyo could do was nod and the air turned even icier. 

Gaara didn't know that someone could be so mad at someone, "Uzumaki."

Michiaki's glare turned to Gaara, "Why shouldn't I be mad at her?"

"If you kill her, it will destroy any peace that you want to facilitate between our two villages."

Michiaki closed his eyes and sighed, "Alright." He reopened his eyes, "This is going to hurt much more than I originally thought."

Gaara gulped, "W-Why?"

Michiaki sighed, "I have to move the seal from over your heart to your abdomen. This means that I have to break your current seal just enough to partially destroy it, draw the new seal, destroy your old seal completely, and then move Shukaku from the old seal to the new seal. It's going to be agonizing for both you and Shukaku and your sand is most likely going to go berserk. To stop anyone from getting hurt, I'm going to have to create a barrier to contain your sand, which will mean that I'm going to have to work while getting hurt by your sand."

Gaara's eyes widened and then set into a determined stare, "I'm willing to endure some pain if that means that mother gets to have the peace she deserves."

Michiaki smiled bitterly, "Yes, she deserves to be at peace."

**_“I know that you want to tell him, but now’s not the time. Shukaku will tell him when they meet for the first time. His mother's spirit indeed resides within him, but not in the way that he thinks.”_ **

_ “I just want him to know everything.” _

**_“I know, kit. Let him learn from Naruto. Don't interfere any more than you already have. He's going to have doubts when he sees Naruto, but let Naruto be his light, it'll be for the best.”_ **

_ “You're right, Yoshi-kun.” _

"Ano, Chiyo-sama, I might have a seal that would work. It's the same as Naru-chan's, though I'll have to draw it from memory."

Chiyo nodded and Michiaki began to draw the Six Trigrams Seal.

"Do you have enough Chakra to do that seal?"

Michiaki nodded, "I should. I have been resting and I'm an Uzumaki. My chakra resets faster than a normal person. I also have very large reserves for a 21-year-old."

Chiyo nodded, she knew of the Uzumaki's and their abilities.

"Do you need time to make sure that it is correct?"

Michiaki looked at Gaara, "Would you like for me to come back tomorrow or go ahead and risk it?"

Gaara regarded the older man, "I trust your judgment. Mother does, too. She says that she won't harm you or impede the re-sealing process in any way."


	17. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiaki finishes resealing Shukaku and Naruto meets with Konoha 9 to reveal a secret.
> 
> At the same time, Michiaki has had ENOUGH with Suna's council and just wants to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Lovelies!
> 
> I didn't change too much of this chapter (just added to the beginning).
> 
> 1) The Uzumaki Hari (Uzumaki Crystal) is like the Sharingan and Bakugan (sp?). There is another ability that it has that will be shown in later chapters.
> 
> 2) I'm not going to updating this story for a while since I will be focusing on my other Naruto stories. I would appreciate it if you guys don't ask me to update this story. I'm not going to do it until I'm done.
> 
> 3) The next story I'm going to working on is "Second Chances Shouldn't Go To Waste" or SCSGTW. For my A03 followers: SCSGTW is on my Wattpad account, I'll be posting it on A03 when I start rewriting it.
> 
> What else?
> 
> Oh! 
> 
> 4) Gira is still sealed away as she's not needed right now. She'll come back into the story when they return to Konoha, so don't worry, I'm not forgetting her or anything.
> 
> If you like this chapter, leave a vote and comment!

Michiaki smiled fondly, "Thank you, Gaara-sama."

Gaara titled his head and Michiaki turned back to Chiyo, "Is it too much to ask you to create a barrier after I finish drawing this seal? I want to save my chakra as much as possible so I don't have to worry."

Chiyo nodded, "No, that's fine."

Michiaki smiled, "Alright! I'm almost done, I'll let you look over it before I get started!"

Chiyo nodded again and Michiaki turned his attention back to the seal that he was creating. True to his word, it didn't take long for him to finish.

It looked much like the seal that held the Kyuubi Bijuu, only it had a triangle in the middle instead of a swirl. It looked similar to Gaara's original seal, only with more defined kanjis that was meant to help both Jinchuuriki and Bijuu. It was different from the Eight Trigram Seal in that it kept a tighter hold on the Bijuu's chakra and wouldn't weaken when the Bijuu's chakra was used. It would still allow for both chakra to merge, but it would allow for more comfortability between both Bijuu and Jinchuriki.

Chiyo was surprised by the professionalism that the seal showcased, Michiaki was on his way to becoming a true Seal Master.

"I can see no faults in this seal. I'll give it back to you and let you do your work."

Michiaki smiled at the praise, "Thank you, Chiyo-sama. Please set the barrier up."

Chiyo nodded and started setting the seal up. Rasa took that time to show up.

Michiaki saw Gaara flinch, "Do you not want your father to see this?"

Gaara shook his head, "No, he can stay if he isn't busy."

Michiaki nodded and waited for Chiyo to finish, “ _ Don't heal me, Yoshi-kun. Save your chakra.” _

**_“As you wish, Aki-kun_ ** .”

"I'm done," Chiyo announced.

"What are you doing?"

Michiaki glanced at Rasa, "I am going ahead and resealing Shukaku. A warning, this is going to be painful to watch and hear."

Rasa glared at Michiaki, "What are going to do to my son?"

Michiaki sighed, "Due to the poor placement of the seal, I have to move the seal downwards. It's going to be  _ very _ painful for Gaara-sama and Shukaku-sama."  _ And for me _ . "I'm having Chiyo-sama set up a barrier so that Gaara's sand doesn't hurt anyone but me in the process."

Rasa's eyes widened and an Anbu stepped up, "How do we know that this won't kill him?"

Michiaki regarded Anbu and facepalmed, "That's what I forgot to warn Gaara-sama!"

Everyone sweatdropped as Michiaki turned to face Gaara, "This could kill you if you aren't strong enough to withstand the pain. I'm very proficient in Medical Ninjutsu, but I can only do so much. Are you willing to risk this?"

Gaara stared into Michiaki's eyes, "I trust you."

Michiaki smiled, "Very well. This is going to hurt." Michiaki drew something over Gaara's old seal, "Alright, push some chakra into your seal."

Gaara nodded and did as he was told, screaming when pain flooded his body. Michiaki smiled bitterly, holding back tears for the pained boy as he began to draw the new seal over the boy's abdomen. The only sounds were Gaara's screams and Anbu shuffling.

They weren't used to Gaara being in pain and it was painful for them to hear.

Michiaki finished drawing the new seal, "Are you alright, Gaara-sama?"

Everyone sweatdropped at the question but Gaara just nodded rapidly and Michiaki smiled, "That's good! I'm going to completely break the old seal now and move Shukaku-sama. It's going to get very painful in just a moment."

Gaara nodded his understanding and Michiaki pushed chakra in his fingers and broke Gaara's seal. To say that Gaara screamed would be an understatement.

As soon as Michiaki broke the seal, Gaara’s sand began to swirl around the duo. It wasn't a lot, but it was out of control.

As Michiaki slid his fingers down from Gaara's heart, the sand began to swirl faster and faster, more sand spilling from Gaara's body.

By the time Michiaki reached the bottom of Gaara's ribcage, there was a small sandstorm raging in the barrier. The sand hurt as it roughly rubbed against his body, causing abrasions and scrapes everywhere it could reach.

Michiaki nearly had a heart attack when he felt Gaara's heart temporarily stop. He immediately sent chakra to Gaara's heart to keep it beating.

It felt like an eternity when Michiaki's fingers finally reached the new seal, “Almost finished, just a little more. You can do it, Gaara-sama. _ ” _

Michiaki pushed more chakra to his fingers, letting the trapped Bijuu settle in the new seal, activating the seal to start closing. Michiaki watched as the seal finally settled.

He sighed and focused on keeping Gaara's heart going, "Chiyo-sama! Drop the barrier and have someone bring in Kazuchi-sensei or anyone else who knows Medical Ninjutsu!"

Chiyo immediately dropped the barrier and Anbu left in search of his team.

It wasn't long before Kazuchi was across from him, "It seems like his heart is weak from intense pain. It's not completely dead, but it does need time to heal."

Michiaki sighed in relief, "Thank you, Kazuchi-kun. I'm still not the greatest at figuring out what is wrong."

Kazuchi smiled at Michiaki, "No worries. Besides, your quick thinking is probably what saved Gaara-sama. Focus on his heart and I'll make sure his other organs stay stable as well."

Michiaki smiled, "Yes sir!"

Kazuchi rolled his eyes and they went to work

\----

Michiaki sighed as he sat down heavily in a chair beside Gaara's hospital bed. He watched the teen sleep restlessly. It had been a couple of days since the resealing and Michiaki hadn't had an ounce of sleep. He had been too busy keeping Gaara stable and then with the accusations from Suna's council.

Thankfully Rasa was kind enough to help clear up the misunderstanding and clear Michiaki's name, though it wasn’t enough.

Michiaki's eyes slowly closed and he entered his mindspace, where Kiyoshi was waiting for him,  **"Aki, you need to rest or else your chakra won't reset."**

Michiaki closed his eyes tiredly and he hung his head, silent. Kiyoshi grunted,  **"I'm not telling you this because I don't think you don't know this, kit. I'm just worried about your health."**

Michiaki nodded, "I know, I'm sorry Yoshi. I was just worried about Panda-chan here."

Kiyoshi snorted at the nickname for Gaara, who hadn't particularly cared for the nickname when Michiaki had shown him his past.

Michiaki sighed, rubbing his neck, "So... I was going to rest after he stabilized and then I got summoned and you know about what happened in there."

Kiyoshi snorted,  **"They're idiots, the whole bunch. I wouldn't be surprised if Konoha's council is just as idiotic. Thinking of their Jinchuuriki as a weapon and not as a gift."**

Michiaki smiled thinly, "People think that the most dangerous things should benefit their village while the weakest should be cut off. I... think that the weakest should be celebrated and protected and helped while the most dangerous should have restrictions, yes, but also respect and freedom or they will go insane."

Kiyoshi nodded, a sad look on his face. 

Michiaki smiled and started to pet Kiyoshi's nose, startling the giant fox, "Hey, Yoshi, I understand! It's difficult being used as a weapon and being feared so much that everyone wants you dead just because you exist. I don't want that for  _ anyone _ , especially anyone who is just misunderstood or who had been manipulated."

**"Including Madara?"**

"Madara used you, yes. But not the second time, that was Obito. Should I forgive Obito but refuse to listen to Madara? Would that be fair? Obito was manipulated by Zetsu and Madara. Madara was manipulated by Zetsu. I should listen to Madara and try and understand why he did what he did. Zetsu, I will never forgive, as he was never manipulated by anyone and refused to listen to reason. He  _ chose _ to help kill my friends and family."

Kiyoshi grumbled and turned his face away from Michiaki.

They had this conversation before and Kiyoshi was slowly coming to understand what Michiaki was talking about and the older Uzumaki could tell it, though he made sure not to seem smug. He wasn't winning an argument, he was discussing with his closest friend.

For Kiyoshi, he learned something new the more he listened to what Michiaki was saying.

**"Go to sleep, Michiaki. I'll keep watch over Red over here."**

Michiaki chuckled weakly at the joke and entered into his dreaming space, Kiyoshi keeping a careful eye over both his host and the red-haired boy sleeping near them.

\----

"Mi..."

Michiaki groaned in his sleep and Aki giggled as Michiaki mumbled something unintelligible and moved in the chair. Gaara rose an eyebrow at the behavior.

"Michikai-san didn't get much sleep in the last couple of the days taking care of you and staving off the council."

Gaara slowly nodded his understanding, "Will he be alright?"

Aki nodded, "Yes, but he needs to rest. Unfortunately, he's been summoned by the council and Rasa-sama again as soon as you wake up."

Gaara nodded, sighing, "I can get him up, go and tell them that we'll be coming in about ten minutes."

Aki nodded and left the hospital, leaving the sleeping Uzumaki in the hands of the formerly insane Jinchuuriki.

Gaara poked Michiaki's forehead and Michiaki sleepily swatted at it curling into himself in the chair.

Gaara chuckled softly and touched Michiaki's hands, easily entering the older's mindspace.

He saw Kiyoshi first, "Hello, Kiyoshi. I'm sorry to ask this of both of you, but I need to wake Michiaki up."

Kiyoshi opened an eye **, "He's in his 'dreaming room.' He's going to be happy that you're up and moving, you were sleeping for two days. He had to suffer through your father's council claiming that he killed you and then hid your body."**

Gaara scoffed, "That  _ does _ sound what Michiaki  _ might've _ done to me when he was a bit younger."

Kiyoshi scoffed **, "He would still do it, but he understands that isn't necessary right now. Don't hurt his friends and family of your own will and he won't kill you."**

Gaara gulped, “W-where is his dreaming room?"

Kiyoshi thought for a moment and a door appeared along the wall of the cavern **, "It's through there. He's having a good dream, but be prepared for it to go bad as soon as you walk through."**

Gaara nodded, he didn't need to ask why that would happen.

The red-head opened the door and almost closed it to let the older adult sleep when he saw his dream.

_ Michiaki was a young blonde with three whiskers on each cheek laughing as he ran through Konoha, an adult that looked like him but without whiskers chasing him. The man had the Hokage cloak on. Michiaki ran into a woman with long red hair. _

_ The woman chuckled, "What are you doing, Naru-chan?" _

_ "I'm hiding from Otousan!" Michiaki giggled out. _

_ The man, presumably Michiaki's father, scooped the young blonde in his arms, "I've got you, Naruto!" _

_ "Otousan!" Michiaki whined and the woman giggled. _

_ "How about we make your favorite dinner to make up for your loss?" _

_ Michiaki nodded rapidly, "Hai, Okaasan!" _

The dream changed to a different scene, this one a bit sadder, but happy nevertheless.

_ Michiaki was a blonde sixteen-year-old, staring down everyone's enemy. He was tired and chakra depleted, as a pink-haired girl was behind him, healing him. _

_ A moment later, the ten-tailed beast started to make a Bijuu ball, aiming for the shinobi army. Gaara watched as a blonde-haired girl took over everyone's minds and made them make earth walls to slow the Bijuu ball down. _

_ It didn't work, but right when all hope seemed lost, a yellow flash similar to lightning appeared and the Bijuu Ball disappeared. In front of Michiaki and the pink-haired girl, a blonde-haired man, like the one in Michiaki’s previous dream, appeared with a cloak stating 'Fourth Hokage.' _

_ "Be prepared, I deflected it to the sea," the man warned, and suddenly a large gale pushed everyone back. _

_ Amid cries of "what's happening?" and "who's that?" Gaara heard Michiaki mutter, "Otousan!" _

_ Michiaki held a bitter smirk on his face. Gaara could tell Michiaki was happy to see his father, though he was bitter about something. _

_ Gaara watched as the man turned around and said, "Hello, son. Your friend is on his way." _

_ "Sasuke...." Michiaki muttered with an even sadder tone. _

_ Right after their exchange, three more people appeared beside the blonde-haired man. _

_ The oldest chuckled, "As fast as always, Minato-kun." _

_ The man, presumably Minato, chuckled.  _

_ The oldest glanced back at Michiaki, "Hello Naruto-kun." _

_ "Jiji!" Michiaki cried out, tears falling down his face. He had missed the old man. _

_ "Oh is that your girlfriend, Sakura-chan?” Minato asked. “Thank you for taking care of my son." _

_ Michiaki grinned nervously and seemed to count down the moments until Sakura punched him, "As if I'd date this baka!" _

_ "Itai! That hurt!" Michiaki complained and Gaara frowned at the scene. _

Gaara sighed, glancing back at Kiyoshi, "I don't think I can wake him up."

Kiyoshi hummed **, "I'll do it, kit."**

Gaara watched with wide eyes as Kiyoshi slowly transformed into a black-haired human. An ethereal human with fox ears and nine tails, but a human nonetheless.

Gaara stepped aside and let Kiyoshi walk into the dreaming room and watched as Michiaki's dream turned... dark.

_ The battlefield was nothing more than rubble. Michiaki had long ago turned seventeen. He thought back to how everything had seemed okay. He thought that they followed the Sage of Six Paths instructions correctly! They sealed Kaguya up like they were told. _

_ His father had long ago disintegrated, as well as Hiruzen, Itachi, and Hashirama. Tobirama and Madara were all that was left of the reanimated forces. _

_ Just as Michiaki was the last of the Shinobi Army. He stared listlessly at his enemy, who laughed at him. _

_ Suddenly, a red blur on a platform of sand charged towards the giant female. Gaara blinked when he realized that it was his eighteen-year-old self from Michiaki's timeline. _

_ Gaara watched in horror as he was killed and Michiaki screamed. His last friend, his last family died. _

_ "Oh, you silly fool-" _

**_"Michiaki, it's time to wake up."_ **

_ "-you thought you defeated me?" _

**_"Michiaki. Wake up."_ **

Gaara was flung out of Michiaki's mindspace as the male violently woke up. Gaara's sand was quick to protect him and Michiaki started at him blankly, his kunai buried in the sand.

_ “He's fast!” _

He heard a rumble in his head **,** **_“He_ ** **is** **_the son of the yellow flash and the red habanero. But that doesn't make sense, are there two of them?”_ **

Gaara blinked _ , “I-Ichibi?” _

**_“My name is Shukaku_ ** . **_”_ **

_ “My bad.” _

They both panted until Michiaki suddenly jerked nearly completely awake, the adult quickly pulling his kunai away and bowing to the red-haired boy in front of him, "Sorry-"

Gaara shook his head rapidly, trying to reassure the man "Don't be. I... saw your dream that you were having right before you woke up. I would probably react similarly in that situation."

"You... saw...?" Michiaki asked, raising an eyebrow, amused that he would admit to doing that without permission.

Gaara nodded, "I entered your mindspace to wake you up but couldn't force myself to do it. Kiyoshi did it."

Michiaki blinked, then chuckled, "Don't do that again without permission unless something is going on. It's... not seen as ethical or polite."

Gaara tilted his head, "But something is going on. We've both been summoned to the council."

Michiaki groaned, still tired. It took him a few moments to whip his head to look at Gaara with big, happy eyes, "You're awake Panda-chan!"

"Don't call me that!" Gaara barked, embarrassed.

Michiaki laughed and they made their way to the council.

\----

"In the light that Gaara-sama is alive and well, we have decided that you are innocent of our allegations."

Michiaki sighed in relief and Rasa and Gaara glanced at him, amused by his reaction. Michiaki bowed politely, "If I may be so bold to say so, if that is all that you have to say to me, then I will take my leave. I'm chakra exhausted and I need to be rested before I talk to Rasa-sama and Gaara-sama about what exactly his new seal does."

The council sneered, "No, that's not  _ all _ . We want to know exactly what you did to our  _ weapon _ ."

Michiaki regarded the council coldly, doing his damn hardest not to let Kiyoshi have his way with the council. Not only would it ruin any treaties, but it would notify Akatsuki that there were  _ two _ Kyuubi Jinchuurikis, which  _ wasn't _ what Michiaki, Naruto, Kiyoshi, nor Kurama needed at the moment.

"I have allowed you to slander my name and my village without question or anger, but it stops when you refer to this  _ boy _ as a  _ weapon _ ," Michiaki started slowly and almost sweetly. Aki glanced at the red-haired Uzumaki nervously.

"Michiaki-san!" She hissed silently, not noticing how the council smirked at her reaction. Michiaki didn't miss it and his anger started to boil even more. "Michiaki-san, please don't cause our relationship to be strained with Suna's! I know how you feel about this matter, but I beg you to  _ shut the fuck up. _ "

Gaara bit back a snort and even Rasa raised an eyebrow at her language. He glanced at his council, who just looked intrigued, "Aki-san, I must beg you to allow our dear friend to continue."

Michiaki glanced sharply at the Kazekage before his gaze turned back to the council, "I'm not sure you realize this,  _ gentlemen _ , but I was not born inside of Konoha."

The council was stunned at the random fact, “ _ What is he trying to get at?” _

Michikai closed his eyes, thinking deeply for a moment, "I was trained by nameless mercenaries and rogue ninjas up until recently. I never had a childhood because no one knew  _ how _ to let a boy who was more powerful than he ought to be... well, be a child."

Rasa narrowed his eyes, “ _ Is he...? No, that can't be, there's only one Kyuubi JInchuuriki and he's blonde. Unless… no that’s impossible the amount of chakra needed to pull that off is insane!” _

The council stayed quiet throughout Michiaki's speech, "I  _ know _ what it's like to long for a peaceful childhood, one where I can be myself without fear of disappointing everyone around me through my slight...  _ childish _ behavior. I know this and I'm thankful that Konoha gave me my only living relative to love and care for since he deserves all the love and care that I never received as a child."

A councilman opened his mouth to speak but Rasa was quick to shut him up with a wave of his hand. Gaara found a hint of respect for his father, though it still wasn't enough after what the man had put him and his older siblings through all their lives.

Michiaki shifted, starting to get uncomfortable, "I don't mean to presume things, Rasa-sama, but I can guess that Gaara-sama hasn't seen the loveliest of childhoods? I wouldn't be surprised if Gaara-sama is already a killer like I was when I was younger."

Gaara shifted to glare at his father, who blinked at the red-headed duo, "Yes, Gaara is a killer."

Michiaki nodded understandingly, "And the villagers hate him just for his existence?"

"You're getting a little too personal, Uzumaki-san," A councilman interrupted.

Michikai tuned an ice-cold violet glare to the councilman, who shrank back into his seat at the intensity, "I'm  _ sorry if I'm just stating facts that pertain to the situation at hand. _ What I'm getting at is that Konoha's Jinchuuriki is also hated just for existing. He does something nice and he's  _ spat _ on like he's a common  _ dog _ . He messes up and he's  _ criticized _ ."

The councilman's eyes widened, he hadn't known that was how Jinchuuriki's were treated. Michiaki sighed, "Gaara-sama is no weapon. Insane? Yes, but only because he's been in pain all his life. A murderer? Yes, but only because he wasn't given a choice in the matter. You could say that I'm the same as Gaara-sama, without the Bijuu in my head snarling about what's the best way to kill someone."

Gaara snorted again and all attention went to him, "Shukaku just says  _ when _ to kill someone, Michiaki-san."

Michiaki grunted, "That's essentially the same thing."

Aki shook with the need to laugh, Kakashi not doing much better himself. Hanaka, Hinoji, and Kazuchi just sighed at the troublesome trio of the group.

Rasa and Gaara both looked amused while the councilmen looked frustrated.

"What are you trying to get at, Uzumaki-san?"

Michiaki sighed, "Dangerous and powerful people should have their restrictions, but also freedom. That little amount of freedom will keep them from going insane."

Rasa nodded slowly, "Gaara has shown intense loyalty to Suna despite everything I put him through, so I will allow him to choose his direction starting now."

"Direction....?"

Michikai smiled gratefully at Rasa, "Thank you. And, Gaara-sama, a direction is where  _ you _ want to go, what path _ you _ want to take."

Gaara blinked, "But...."

Michikai ruffled the young teen's hair, "Take your time, Red. It'll take some time to think about it."

"Red?" Rasa asked, highly amused. His amusement just soared when Michikai crumpled to the floor in mock embarrassment, causing the council to chuckle.

Michiaki was actually just trying to take a damn nap, was that so much to ask for?

\----

Naruto grinned at his friends all waiting for him at Ichiraku's. Even Neji was waiting with his teammates, though the boy was most likely there for his younger cousin and not Naruto.

"Hey, mina! Who set this up?"

Ino raised her hand shyly and Naruto surprised everyone by giving her a quick hug. "Thank you, Ino-chan!"

Ino blushed softly at the display of affection, frowning at his glassy eyes, "Ne, Naruto... why are your eyes glassy?"

Hinata and Neji shared a look. They had their guesses but didn't want to confront the skittish blonde.

Naruto chuckled nervously before sighing, "I guess it's about time I told you since I'll be joining the Chunin Exams solo."

**_“You don't HAVE to tell them, kit_ ** , **_”_ ** Kurama grumbled.

“ _ I know Kyuu, but I was going to tell them anyway before the Chunin Exams, who knows when I'll get this chance again?” _ Naruto responded, sitting down at his normal stool.

"Ano, I'm sure everyone knows this by now, but I had my first kill quite recently during my first C-rank."

Everyone nodded.

"W-well, what no one knows is that I had a head injury during the fight to save Tsunami-chan. She died and I fought the... the ninjas holding her. Got hit on my head with a nasty jutsu that fortunately wore off quickly. Inari-chan had to cover me for a second or two because I was stunned real bad."

Everyone stared at Naruto in shock, disbelieving.

"I was able to... kill the ninjas and that's when my team found me holding a sobbing Inari. I told Inoichi-san about what happened and he looked inside my head. What he found... puzzled him."

Ino blinked slowly, "What did he find Naruto-kun?"

Naruto hummed, "I'm blind, mostly, but also all my senses were heightened like those of a fox. My hearing and sense of smell are through the roof and I even have night-vision! Which means I see better when it's dark around me. Bright lights dazzle me. Inoichi-san has me wearing special clear contacts that protect my irises from going blind in light but also don't impede my sight during the night, which was nice of him."

Sasuke was the first one to respond, "Was it because....?"

Naruto nodded, "Yup! He told me to not be surprised if I suddenly sport ears and a tail, though he admitted that's unlikely. That wasn't what surprised you father, though, Ino-chan."

Neji's eye twitched, "Would you stop distracting us with seemingly pointless facts about yourself? Tell us what surprised Ino's father!"

TenTen whacked Neji, "Be nice to Naruto-kun, Neji-kun!"

Naruto laughed softly and Sasuke felt his heart melt at the sound of his beautiful laughter filling the air like chimes in the wind. Each time a gust would blow past the chimes, they would ring in the most calming and harmonious manner. Naruto was both the wind and the chimes. Sometimes he caused someone to ring the air with their own laughter and sometimes he would grace them with his own ringing.

Sakura and Haku snickered at Sasuke's love-struck expression. Naruto himself caught it and his laughter died in his throat, Sasuke was looking at  _ him _ like he was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Naruto blushed softly and cleared his throat, "N-Neji-kun is right, TenTen-chan. I have been distracting you. The surprising thing is my dormant Kekkei Genkai."

Shikamaru sighed, "It was obvious you had one, mendokuse."

Naruto laughed again, "Not to the others, lazy genius."

Hinata smiled nervously, "U-um, what i-is your K-kekkei Genkai, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto smiled encouragingly at the shy heiress, "It's quite similar to the Bakugan since once it activates it never deactivates and it doesn't use chakra. It's never been recorded before so Inoichi-san doesn't know what it is or what it does besides being able to look through barriers and memorize and categorize everything. It like a mix of the Sharingan and Bakugan. It seems to take on a glassy appearance, so we're calling it Uzumaki Hari or Uzumaki Crystal until we can find where it originates from, dattebayo."

"Mendokuse blonde, why didn't you just say that?"

"W-well, the only way for it to work is if I have optimal sight."

Everyone let it sink in and Kiba facepalmed, "Of course it does! Will this affect your ability to fight?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, my not-quite blindness  _ enhanced _ everything about me. I've been training with Inoichi-san to help get me used to all the changes. I need to tell Danzo-sensei soon, though I believe my tails will tell him long before I can."

The Genins heard muffled cursing and light footsteps as multiple Anbu ran away. Naruto smirked, "Always gets them. They forget that I'm a sensor, how do you think I got away with all those pranks in the Academy?"

Sasuke and Sakura snorted while Kiba grinned at the blonde boy, who grinned back.

Shino and Chouji just sighed and Naruto frowned in Lee's direction, "You're quiet tonight, Lee-kun, what's on your mind?"

Naruto could hear Lee's sniffles,  _ “Oh no.” _

Kurama smirked at Naruto's discomfort,  **_“Oh yes.”_ **

"It's just so unyouthful for your Sensei to let you take the Exams alone!" Lee cried out as he clung to Naruto, who yelped at the sudden action, causing Kiba to laugh.

"Lee-kun, I'm taking it  _ with _ the other teams, it's just I'm going to be my  _ own _ team! You'll be able to compete with me!"

"So unyouthful!"

"Lee-kun!"

\----

Guy, Kurenai, and Asuma watched the gathering, laughing quietly at the conversation. Asuma frowned, "Danzo-san sure is confident that Naruto will be able to handle himself, despite not knowing Naruto's 'disability.'"

"It was unyouthful for those ninjas to treat Naruto-kun so!"

Kurenai scoffed, "They were just doing their job, Guy-kun. What he needs isn't our anger but our support and understanding and our help."

Asuma grunted, "His older brother and Michiaki-san's boyfriend are going to be  _ pissed _ when they found out."

Kurenai and Guy snorted and the three of them left the Genins to laugh and talk amongst themselves.


	18. A/N - Will be Deleted in Future

Hey guys, I wanted to say something. I will be posting this to all my active stories on A03 and on my draft.

So I am going to be taking an indefinite break from writing. As much as I love writing, the stress is too much to handle right now. I _will_ be deleting every A/N saying this right before I start posting again.

I'm sorry guys but it's really hard for me right now and I need to focus on my body.


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